As Expected, My Overnight Bus Trip Went Wong
by RalphZiggy
Summary: NEW CHAPTER! It was just a 16 hour overnight bus trip to stay in another city for three days and help another school. With two healthy young guys, a couple beauties, several cuties and a hot sensei, what could possibly go wrong? It's just a comedy, don't take this seriously. Originally published April 9, 2018 to May 21, 2018.
1. Bad News Causes Work

Sometimes a messenger would bring tidings made of both good news, and bad news. Hiratsuka-sensei did not do that for us.

The bad news was that thanks to a new craze sweeping the Japanese educational system, our school now had a "sibling school" in the city of Sapporo, Sapporo Kita High School. That school was planning to have events alongside the famous and already commercialized "Sapporo Snow Festival" at the start of February. Known for amazing for ice sculptures and tourist diversions, the locals actually mostly avoided that festival.

The worse news was the student council at that school there couldn't come up with any fun or interesting ideas for their new festival, so our Student Council and the Service Club both were asked to assist. Apparently a kind of reputation coupled with expectations about our school somehow were leaking out of Chiba. A reputation spread far and wide plus expectations minus any means of escaping requests equaled the crushing burden of society.

The worst news was there was little budget for travel so we'd be taking a 16 hour bus trip there instead of the more fast and convenient train or plane routes. No single bus was available with sufficient seating, so seats on two separate ones were booked. The buses would leave Friday evening after school and return Tuesday morning after a trip that would extend through the night. We would stay at a small family lodge that was western-style. Of course, all homework for that weekend would still have to be done and turned in Monday morning at 9am to Hiratsuka-sensei, and Tuesday's would be due at the normal times. For the coup de grâce we had a test Tuesday in science. My reaction to all this was as the Americans would say, "Just shoot me. Make it a double-tap to be sure."

We were all gathered in the Service Club room with the Student Council, and were drinking tea when Sensei came in with two envelopes.

"Everyone, here are the room assignments for the lodge. Each room has a pair of twin beds. Hikigaya and Imai will be in room 201, Isshiki and Morita in 203, Yuigahama and Yukinoshita in 202, and Ayahana will be with me in 205."

"Yay! I'm with Yukinon!"

"Please don't hug me like this in front of others."

So hugging like that in private was okay? Yuigahama had glommed onto Yukinoshita who was blushing with one eye closed. Hugging beauties were very cute. The theme song from Citrus welled up in the background. Well that last part was only in my head and I had to pull my thoughts out of the gutter.

It's not like they resembled those step-sisters in any way, right? I mean in that anime one step sister was cold, unsociable, rigidly "by the book", and model student with black hair and intense eyes. The other warm compassionate one was fair-haired, sociable, noisy, flouted the dress code, and ...wait a minute! They totally were like those step sisters weren't they...and if they kissed who would be the first one to deepen … yikes my thoughts had slid from the gutter right down into the sewer.

"Hikipervy-kun, please wipe that disgusting grin from your face and stop imagining unnecessary things."

"My bad."

"*Ahem* Here are the Yoshida Travel bus tickets everyone, they have seating assignments too. These buses have ten rows with two seats on each side," explained Sensei.

Boos and hisses, that model of bus was what Komachi and I called the sardine can on wheels. Let me guess, we'll be in the very back for maximum enjoyment of vibration, sway and bouncing. Sensei was walking around handing out tickets as she spoke.

"These first four tickets are for the 6:30pm bus #5183."

"Isshiki Iroha seat 9C."

Yup, yup, our President was at the shaky rear of the bus, in the aisle seat. One sly kohai shaken not stirred, bartender.

"Morita Moeri, seat 9D."

So Secretary-Chan would be next to my kohai by the window on the right side, in the rear. Hang on to those glasses in that bumpy back of the bus, shy and demure meganneko.

"Hikigaya Hachiman, seat 10B."

Aisle seat for me, at least there was more room for taller than average guy than the window chair had, but in the very back of the bus on the left. As expected. Would I be sitting with someone here?

"Yukinoshita Yukino, seat 10A."

A teacup rattled on a saucer for a second, and I made a covert glance toward our school's Ice Cold Beauty to see if she was upset or embarrassed or disgusted...yes her face was red, but she was smiling and her eyes were bright and shining...and looking directly at me. Was she thinking of new ways to torment and verbally abuse me?

"These next tickets are for the 7:00pm bus 5190."

"Awwww, I wanted to ride with Hikki and Yukinon," Yuigahama was already unhappy.

"Ayahana Hana, seat 5A."

Oh, lucky Treasurer-Chan gets a premium between-the-wheels seat that was next to the window, which is fine for a short girl! Well, premium for the sardine can on wheels model of bus, anyway.

"Yuigahama Yui, seat 5B."

Ah, hopefully Treasurer-Chan is at least a good listener if not conversationalist, because her seat-mate will be a bubbly airhead making non-stop chatter.

"Hiratsuka Shizuka, seat 5C."

She be ever longing for the next rest stop, to burn a smoke or two. I feel sorry for her seat-mate who will have to endure the cycle of nicotine withdrawal.

"Imai Hisao seat 5D."

Don't comment on Sensei's age or her relationship status, Vice President-kun, and you'll probably live. Also don't stare at her breasts or down her cleavage at that birthmark on Port-side Melon-chan if she has a low neckline that day, it's not polite.

Sensei then sat next to me on my right. While Isshiki was describing the festival our club advisor made a diabolical grin, and started tapping on her phone with its nicotine stained case. I already studied that tourist information, so we wouldn't duplicate any part of the venue. We even had Ebina and Zaimokuza agree to be on tap that weekend for remote advice and ideas..That is they agreed after laughing at the sort of losers who would go on a 16 hour bus ride to Sapporo.

My phone vibrated and I discretely looked at the message that had arrived.

_From: Yukinoshita Haruno_

_Aren't you lucky, Hikigaya-kun, to have an overnight bus seat next to a cute girl! Since I doubt she'd hold that Pan-san plushie you gave her on the bus, I should warn you. Sometimes when Yukino-chan was little she'd sleep in my bed, and she was a very clingy sleeper! She still is like that with her plushies! Have fun on your trip, Hikigaya-kun!_

Damn that elder demon superwoman for making my completely pure young mind go in bad directions! And Sensei was guilty too, they were co-conspirators! My face and ears were starting to burn; it was time to purify my brain again. I certainly wasn't in any way, shape or form a Pan-san plushie, Yukinoshita Haruno-san!


	2. Ice Queen Appears Stressed

Finally our meeting was drawing to an end. Yukinoshita had volunteered to compile general celebration procedures, ideas and checklists, much as she had done for Isshiki and the student council during the Christmas event.

I checked the return tickets, coming back I'd once again be in the back with Yukinoshita.

My eye had wandered to the last remaining page outside the ticket envelope Sensei had placed on the table. It was printed double sided as was school office policy to conserve paper. A screen shot of the bus company's on-line order page was showing, and I realized the way the web form worked was that the customer picked available seats on a bus for each name in one's list. I realized Sensei had deliberately put me with Yukinoshita.

"Oh! Yukinoshita, be sure to get the phone numbers of everyone that is riding on your bus, and confirm their arrival and presence on the bus Friday evening."

"Yes, Sensei."

"Yukino-senpai, here's a sheet with all the officer's phone numbers on it. It would be even better if you had all our numbers in case of an emergency," Isshiki said handing Yukinoshita a page from a folder.

Yukino started entering information into her phone at high speed. I knew her prowess with smart phone data entry wasn't due to texting with other humans, but rather from on-line cat cafe postings and reservations, and also from Pan-san media, merch inquiries and purchases.

Sensei stood up and dismissed the meeting. All the Student Council said their farewells and left, and Isshiki and Sensei remained.

"See you Friday, Yukino-senpai, Yui-senpai! I have to go with the soccer team tonight. At least some parents are driving us in vans instead of our needing buses!"

Our school was sending its soccer club to a regional tournament against other clubs for one day tomorrow.

"Have a safe trip, Isshiki-san. I hope your team does well!"

"Have fun, Iroha-chan. Hope you win!"

Lastly Isshiki said to me, "And see you later too, Senpai!" I wondered sometimes if she remembered my name.

"Yeah. Take care and good luck."

Isshiki skipped away, leaving only Sensei with us.

"Yuigahama, I have all the approved prop and scenery plans for the last ten years of festivals complete with photos. If you want to come with me to the teacher's office you can look through them. You can make copies of any that might be a useful reference."

"Oh yes, Sensei! I'd really love to see them! I'll be back later, Yukinon, Hikki!"

"Yes."

"Sure."

Yuigahama followed Sensei out of the room. Yukinoshita and I were alone, just like in the early days of the club.

I sighed and picked up my light novel, this whole thing had interrupted a juicy fan service scene. I just had to be careful not to make any lewd chuckles. I had been informed how disgusting that was by a certain Ice Cold Beauty. I had just started that smoldering scene again when I heard Yukinoshita take a deep breath and stand up. I vaguely wondered if she was going to excuse herself to the restroom but I continued reading the naughty arc in the story. I became aware that Yukinoshita had neither moved nor said anything, and so I looked up at her. She was looking off to one side with red face and ears, biting her lip, and holding her left arm.

"Yukinoshita? ...what's wrong?"

"Hik...Hikki...Hikigaya-kun...as c-club president I'm supposed to have the con-contact information of all members for this trip...s-s-s-so..." She was having difficulty speaking, and her mannerisms were making me embarrassed as well. Hurry up and say what is on your mind, you're far too dere-dere looking like that, Derederenon!

"COULD I PLEASE HAVE YOUR PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND EMAIL ADDRESS, AND PLEASE ALSO PUT MINE IN YOUR CONTACT LIST!" she abruptly blurted out a bit too loud, making me jump.

Wait, I thought Sensei only had said to give phone numbers, though it wouldn't hurt for her to have backup means of communication and also my parent's address if something really bad happened.

"Ah...sure, that's fine," I answered her, taking out my phone, and opening the contact list.

For some reason she was still standing next to her seat. Well I can be a gentleman who doesn't make a lady walk. I stood up and went to her.

I lowered my phone into her hands that were now cupped together and quaking. She almost dropped the device, and I reflexively put my hands below hers to catch it. But she managed to regain her two-handed grip on it just as her hands contacted both of mine under hers.

"...eeep!..." Yukinoshita squeaked.

We were frozen like that that for a few seconds, my holding the soft backs of her hands, with her hands clutching my phone. Her head stayed down but large glistening eyes half-covered with her hair slowly looked up and into mine. Her face really was like a living sculpture of a goddess, her pink full lips were parted a little and quivering, and besides Sabon shampoo there was a more subtle scent somewhere between vanilla and some kind of tropical flower. Her sister smelled similar, come to think of it.

I tried to ease the tension with a smile that I hoped wasn't too horrible.

"It's all right, it didn't fall," I tried to reassure her.

Yukinoshita finally spoke.

"Oh, Hikigaya-kun I'm so sorry. The screen has locked again."

She said that quietly, but spoke with a voice full of regret as if she was guilty of a horrible transgression. That wasn't a big deal it all. Why were you so high strung today, Yukinoshita?

"The unlock code is just Komachi's birthday, 030303," I said nonchalantly.

"You've shared your phone's code with me?!" Yukinoshita spoke incredulously as if I had told her all my darkest secrets.

Her grip on my precious phone looked like it was becoming unstable again, so I kept one hand under hers as she slowly unlocked my phone.

She focused, furrowing her brow, and finally raised my phone and started to enter her contact information at high speed. I do mean she put all her contact information into my phone. Condo address and land-line phone, father's company name, cell phone phone, two email addresses of which one was "corporate" and had the Yukinoshita name with a ' ', and one "personal" email. She even used the "notes" field to put in Yukinoshita Construction HQ address and what I assumed was her parent's address.

Then she handed my phone back to me with both hands. After I pocketed that, she held out her phone in her both her palms as if offering a gift. I took her phone but it was locked.

"My unlock code is the birthday of the author of 'Hello Mr. Panda', Alan A. Enlim: 180182."

Don't give out your phone's code so casually, woman! There are dangerous people in this world!

I unlocked her phone, went to the contacts list, and in the spirit of equivalent exchange I filled in my mobile phone, email address, and home address. I handed the phone back to her waiting two hands, she looked like a child eager for her Christmas present. Then she was staring at the screen for a while.

Then Yukinoshita sent me a test text and test email.

_Greetings, Hikigaya Hachiman-kun._

_Message was received, Yukinoshita._ I sent back.

It was extremely rare for Yukinoshita to have a smile so big her teeth showed, and she was hugging the phone to her chest as if it was a plushie.

"I did it," she whispered while I was sitting back down.

Well I suppose asking a creepy loner for his number would take some courage, and even more was required to give out one's contact information to him. I thought I could continue reading now.

Yukinoshita cleared her throat, in the Japanese way of indicating something important was to be said or asked. I'd never get to the H part of this chapter, would I?

"Hikigaya-kun, would it be all right...if at times I would communicate with you after school via texting or phone calls regarding school or club matters?"

"Oh… sure."

"THANK YOU, HIKIGAYA-KUN!" I fumbled the book in surprise. Oi, this normally collected and dignified lady sure was hyper today, maybe Sensei and Isshiki needed to quit pulling her into so many projects.

* * *

At home my imouto was also unusually wound up and energetic.

"Onii-chan, so you'll be sitting next to Yukinoshita-san for that bus trip. We have to go get some snacks and drinks you can share with her."

"How did you know about the seating arrangements, Komachi? And I'm sure she'll bring her own snacks."

"Haruno-senpai told me about it. You are going to text Yukino-senpai right now and ask what snacks and drinks you should bring."

Oh right, Yukinoshita Haruno-san's had Komachi's contact information. Should I really bother Yukinoshita about this matter? Well, I can blame Komachi.

_To: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_Komachi and I are at the convenience store, and she suggested we ask if you'd like me to bring snacks and drinks for you such as that Yasai 100 strawberry mix one you often get."_

_To: Hikigaya Hachiman_

_Thank you for asking, Hikigaya-kun, and for remembering that drink I like. I shall bring snacks for the both of us. That drink and fruit tea would be fine. Also, I would not be opposed to having a can of MAX Coffee too._

Ah, Yukinoshita had begun her journey on the Three-Fold Path to MAX Enlightenment when we both had it at the mall back in June. I had a convert! Incidentally the Three Truths of the Way were sugar, condensed milk and coffee.

_To: Hikigaya Hachiman_

_Hikigaya-kun, are you going directly from the school to the bus terminal on Friday?_

_To: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_Yes, then I plan to kill some time at the nearby strip mall until departure time._

_To: Hikigaya Hachiman:_

_I am not at all confident in my ability to find my way to the bus terminal. Would it be too much trouble to ask you to escort me from the school to there? I will buy you dinner as thanks for your trouble._

Yukinoshita's sense of direction was abysmal, so I would feel guilty if she were to become lost after I refused to help. Though this also could be a thinly veiled attempt to conscript me as a draft horse to carry her luggage. This Service Club was a black company that usually made me work overtime without extra pay. Free food was an improvement to labor conditions. Although that formerly free sliver of non-working time in my schedule was now filled in with work.

_To: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_"Fine, we'll go there from school."_

_To: Hikigaya Hachiman_

_"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun._

Was she gong to pull her luggage to school on the train in the morning as she normally came? Now my onii-chan instincts had kicked in and I was also worrying about her stamina to move the luggage and hang onto it on a lurching and hard breaking Chiba transit system train. Even without onii-chan reflexes I was so totally weak to women.

_To: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_How are you bringing your luggage to school?_

_To: Hikigaya Hachiman_

_I was planning on bringing it with me on the train to school_

_To: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_I could stop by in the morning on Friday to help. Just bring your luggage down. I have a large rolling Pullman with straps to attach your luggage, and we'd then take your train to school._

_To: Hikigaya Hachiman_

_Hikigaya-kun, thank you for being so thoughtful. Yes, I would greatly appreciate your help in that matter._

An hour of study went by, and I wondered if Yukinoshita was going to do what she did for Isshiki and the Student Council, to stay up all night compiling a package of helpful data. I always felt bad when she worked herself to the bone on school projects. Besides, I had promised Yuigahama I'd watch out for her when that started to happen.

_To: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_Are you planning on staying up compiling information for Sapporo Kita High? How long do you estimate until completion?_

_To: Hikigaya Hachiman_

_It is already very late, isn't it. Yet I'm only a third of the way done._

_To: Yukinoshita Yikino_

_You can stop working now. Just bring all the information Friday, and we can work on it while traveling._

_I can borrow the family laptop for this weekend to help, Komachi probably won't be needing it._

_To: Hikigaya Hachiman-kun_

_Thank you so much for thinking of me, I gratefully accept your offer to assist._

But I can bring two laptops for us, so Komachi-chan won't be in trouble if she requires use of the family laptop.

Now I had to do that work in addition to the homework, this black company known as the Service Club had no restraint when it came to exploiting the proletariat.

I went back to studying, although 20 minutes later at 10:30pm another message arrived.

_To: Hikigaya Hachiman_

_Good night, Hikigaya-kun. I'm glad I can sleep now at my normal time, thank you again._

Wishing me 'good night', that certainly was odd. That woman had been acting very strangely the whole day.

_To: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_Not a problem. Good night, Yukinoshita._

Thursday morning my phone chimed with a message the arrived suspiciously one minute after my morning alarm had gone off. I suspected Komachi of revealing my wake-up time.

_From: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_I've obtained permission to bring two laptops to school today, we can set them up during club time._

* * *

Thursday was quieter at the school with the soccer team and their manager Isshiki away. News filtered back to most the students during the day via the school website, the soccer club was doing very well this year. I didn't care about school sports but heard the gossip.

At the club Yukino had two Macbook pro laptops, one with a cat art "skin" on it and one with a Pan-san. I assumed that I'd be using the one with the panda. For some reason she created accounts on both of them for me, and we tried file sharing on an ad-hoc network between them.

"I wish Yukinon had brought a laptop for me to use too," said Yuigahama in a somewhat disappointed voice.

I suppose I could sympathize with her a little, it might be like my early childhood when I was in daycare. The other more sociable children were given the fun toys meant to be shared and played with in a group, while I was seated on the back table and handed partial picture books with pages ripped out or rendered illegible by crayons. The teachers enjoyed playing with the other kids and those fun toys too. I also would take the leftover broken toys nobody wanted and build towers and fortresses. Well that was a depressing trip down memory lane.

"Yuigahama, can you even use a laptop?" I asked.

"Meanie! Of course I can, I watch music videos on my Dad's if my parents are hogging the TV," she said indignantly.

"Yuigahama-san, one of Hikigaya-kun's gifts is writing, so that's why he has the laptop. We're thankful you can contribute with your artistic talents for scenery and props, so be assured your role is important too."

"Oh Yukinon!" This time Yukinoshita had both her eyes closed while being hugged. Yuigahama was wearing her down. I wondered how long it would be at this rate before Yuigahama got to "first base" with Yukinoshita.

Friday morning I was up early thanks to Komachi bouncing on my upper back with her bottom as if I were a trampoline. I took the train to Yukinoshita's condo building with my rolling Pullman. Instead of using the intercom system I texted my arrival to her and Yukinoshita responded she would be down soon.

"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun."

"Yukinoshita, Yo."

"I'd like to review some of the files during lunchtime, so I've made a bento for you. I can stop by your classroom during lunch hour."

"Oh. All right. You didn't have to make a lunch though."

"It's in appreciation for your help. That cafeteria bread isn't a proper meal. Also I'll buy you dinner tonight."

"Well, thank you."

I finished strapping our luggage together, and off we started into the world of the Chiba morning commute, which was the hell our school and our choice of college was preparing us to roast in as adults. The education system was therefore like a meat tenderizer before cooking.

But we were still on the same block as Yukinoshita's condo when the patter of feet came up behind us.

"Senpaii! Yukino-senpai!"

"Morning, Isshiki."

"Isshiki-san, good morning. What are you doing here?"

"My uncle lives in this building, and my parents and I came here last night after the game instead of going home. So you came by to help Yukino-senpai with her luggage, you're so reliable Senpai!"

"Yes, Hikigaya-kun can be very reliable, now and then."

"Oi!" I was going to protest, but Yukinoshita and Isshiki were laughing.

"Well, my uncle is going to drop me off at school, my parents have to go to work. See you later, Yukino-senpai, Senpai!"

"See you at school, Isshiki-senpai."

"Later."

Isshiki ran back towards a waiting sports car.

We encountered Sagami, another girl from Zaimokuza's class, and one of her friends on the train. For some reason they were staring at us and whispering to each other. Yukino was holding the hem of my coat. I was holding the handle of the tied together mass that was our luggage with my left hand, and the train car's hanging strap with my right.

From the train station to the school Yukinoshita walked beside me as I pulled the cases, while students in front of us kept looking back. People stared as we entered the school together and walked down the hallway to the Student Council Office. There we left our luggage with everyone else's.

At lunchtime Hayama's clique was the center of attention after yesterday's match wins, and Sagami had brought the guys deluxe soft drinks 'for celebrating'. I knew Sagami was just trying to suck up to Hayama. Yukinoshita entered the classroom with one of the laptops and went over to me. Tobe noticed her.

"Hey Hikitani-kun and Yukinoshita-san, we're having a celebration at the family restaurant for our win. My family appreciates the help you guys gave us selling those cakes at Christmas, so why not come with us tonight?" [LN only, the gang helps Tobe and his relatives sell Christmas cakes].

Oh, maybe the soccer team was so busy recently they didn't know about the Sapporo Kita High project? Perhaps Isshiki didn't tell them.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Tobe-kun; be sure to thank and greet your family for us. However tonight I'm going on an all-night trip with Hikigaya-kun so neither of us will be able to attend."

Yukinoshita turned to me and opened the Pan-san laptop, while behind her Hayama coughed and spat out his drink all over Sagami's face. Yukinoshita, don't say things that can be badly misunderstood! While Hayama was apologizing to Sagami who was laughing and saying it wasn't a problem, Yukinoshita was showing me the folder structure and table of contents for Sapporo Kita's general festival and event reference.

The rear of the room was pretty quiet now except for Sagami and her friends praising the guys. I looked back and Hayama was glaring at me and his drink bottle was slightly crushed as he finally took another sip. The rest of Hayama's clique was staring our way, except for Yui who had just begun to explain about our project. But Isshiki suddenly burst into the room interrupting her.

"Congrats again guys! Oh! Senpai and Yukino-senpai are here too! You two looked so cute coming out of Yukino-senpai's condo together with your luggage this morning, just like a couple on a honeymoon!"

Hayama again coughed and spat his drink out all over Sagami's face, just as Isshiki was pulling Yui out of the room for some project related matter. Hayama and his clique were looking at me, then at the departing Yukinoshita, then back at me again. Hayama then finally remembered to apologize again to Sagami but his frown and scowl were frightening everyone.

School was over, and right after the bell I received a text from Yukinoshita.

_From: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_I'll be at your classroom shortly, we can go to the Student Council office together._

_From: Hikigaya Hachiman_

_Roger that._

I gathered my things, and turned around to see a very angry Hayama Hayato with narrowed eyes right in front of me. Scary! A few repressed memories of some physical bullying from middle school arose from my mind. Yes, I had totally forgotten about those, and the beatings and the pain. My heart sank, if things became physical I stood no chance again this star athlete who also could best any guy in the karate club.

"Hikigaya-kun! What are you doing with Yukinoshita?"

This was all a misunderstanding, and no doubt he had jumped to all kinds of wrong conclusions. Best to gently explain and make everything clear so we all could coexist in peace. Also, so I didn't get the crap beat out of me.

"We're working on a special project through the weekend together…", Hayama grabbed my shirt with both hands and he pulled me forward. Just behind him I saw black hair tied in a red ribbon incoming rapidly.

"WHAT KIND OF SPECIAL.." Hayama started to roar.

A well toned though somewhat thin arm broke his right arm's grip on me. Another right arm shot in front of his chest from my left, and Hayama rolled backwards away from me over the hips of a woman who had her long hair tucked into the front of her shirt. Hayama's body pushed three desks out of the way as he slammed into the floor on his side with an "Ooooof!" Yukinoshita straightened and immobilized his top arm with both of hers and rolled him a quarter turn until he was being pressed face down into the floor by her knee.

"Hayama-san, you are never to assault Hikigaya-kun's person again. Do we have an understanding?" she ordered and started to put backward pressure on his locked elbow while twisting his arm, making him cry out.

"Pardon me, I can't quite hear you, Hayama-san," Yukinoshita said quietly while moving her knee and his arm, and I heard his vertebra crackle a little.

"YES! YES! I UNDERSTAND, YUKINOSHITA-SAN!" His voice was much higher pitched than normal.

"Very well then. You may leave us now." Yukinoshita released her grip and assumed a stance that was weird and clearly offensive, and Hayama slowly raised himself while groaning. He gingerly started to bend his right arm, making little gasps as his eyes watered. He staggered out of the room.

Yukinoshita turned to me and made a big radiant smile, as she pulled her hair out of the front of her shirt and fanned it out behind her.

"Let me know if Hayama-san ever bothers you again. Let's get our luggage and go to dinner, Hikigaya-kun!"

I never heard so much cheerfulness in her voice before.

"Ah… yeah, sure."

This woman was seriously scary!


	3. Kohai Acts In Cahoots

**_Interlude – Yukino remembers the choice she made at New Years_**

_I remember all the events of that day I decided to change myself._

_I hated sitting with Nee-san at family gatherings, I mostly was successful at avoiding them last year. Even though this year is not yet four days old I'm already being held captive, because Nee-san used Hikigaya-kun as bait at that cafe._

_"You were going to save the world, starting with that club of yours… but from what Shizu-chan and Hayato-kun have told me it's mostly Hikigaya-kun doing all the work. Sure, your club is supposed to provide an opportunity for him to better himself, but what about you, Yukino-chan?"_

_Hayama-kun only smiled and laughed nervously. I already knew he was Nee-san's spy and lackey since elementary school, so I no longer even cared much about him. We had reconciled over that embarrassing situation back in middle school, but he was no longer someone I wanted to become closer to, and his silly one-sided boy's crush years ago meant nothing now._

_"So, Yukino-chan, is Hikigaya-kun just a crutch to you? Maybe part of your plan is for Ghahama-san to be his girlfriend?" After asking that question that stabbed my heart, Nee-san jumped up to greet relatives that had just arrived._

_What did I want with Hikigaya-kun? What was he to me? I knew what Yuigahama-san wanted, why did thinking of that cause me so much hurt?_

* * *

We left the classroom with Yukinoshita in the lead tugging on my sleeve, past the rest of Hayama's clique and other 2F classmates in the hallway that said nothing to us. Yukinoshita ignored them, but Ebina was patting the back of Miura who was crying.

I heard some of the conversation behind us.

"He's never cared about me, he only cares about *her*!"

"Yumiko, but she's not a competitor any more, she's taken! You still have a chance!"

You're making more misunderstandings, Ebina-san!

Tobe was running his mouth to Hayama who was nursing his arm.

"Whoa Hayato bro, Yukinoshita-san really mopped the floor with ya! Maybe you should go to the infirmary? Just tell the nurse you fell down or somethin'."

"Yeah we didn't see anything," Ooka said.

Further down the hall Yukinoshita spoke.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun..."

"Yes?"

"That genuine thing in your request, isn't it true it could only might happen if two people spent a lot of time with each other?"

"I suppose that's true."

We had arrived at the Student Council Room. I took my mom's foldable insulated fabric drink holder out of my suitcase, with compartments that could be used for hot and cold. Half the drinks I had brought I took out of Isshiki's refrigerator and put in there. Then I put some cans into her toaster oven and set a temperature near boiling, we'd have hot MAX later!

"Thanks for letting me use your kitchen appliances, Isshiki."

"No problem, it's for my favorite two Senpais after all. I hope you get along very well with Yukino-senpai on this trip." Isshiki was grinning and making a thumbs-up. "See you guys at the bus terminal, my uncle is going to drop me off there. Oh, and Yui-senpai's dad is taking her there."

After visiting the washrooms one last time, we both left the school with Yukinoshita holding my arm right above the elbow, my other arm was pulling the luggage combined Megazord behind us.

"Sir Hachiman and Lady Yukinoshita, may your odyssey have many victories and a happy ending!" Zaimokuza said jovially and waved.

"Have fun, Hachiman and Yukinoshita-san! Let me know how things are going, Hachiman!"

Totsuka was always cute.

"Yeah, see you guys later."

"Thank you for the well wishes."

Yukinoshita waved, which was rare for her, and I could only make a small wave since she was holding my arm.

A couple minutes later my phone chimed with a message, but I didn't have a free hand to get it.

"Hikigaya-kun, I could help you check your phone, if you didn't mind. It might be an important message regarding the trip."

"I suppose that''s possible."

Yukinoshita took my phone out of my coat pocket and unlocked it. I had received a picture from Zaimokuza.

"Shall I open it?"

"I hope it's nothing embarrassing...but yeah go ahead."

There was a picture of Yukinoshita and I leaving the school, with her on my arm.

"Your friend shouldn't be taking pictures without our permission!..."

"I agree. You can delete it, and reply for Zaimokuza to do the same."

"Er, no… Hikigaya-kun… could I send myself a copy?" Yukinoshita asked and was blushing.

"I suppose that's fine."

She probably wanted memories of this trip. As long as no one had any weird ideas after seeing the picture, I was just being a gentleman walking a lady properly!

We boarded the train, as usual Yukinoshita was holding onto my jacket. Oi, but you're too close this time, your soft hip is touching my thigh! And when the train braked more of her hip's surface pressed on me along with her shoulder. I just realized contact with a woman's hip was as erogenous as feeling a breast!

"Hikigaya-kun… do you think you'll have some happy memories of high school?"

Before I joined the Service Club, I would have said school was only another thing to endure in my path in life.

"This year, I can say I enjoyed some things."

"Oh, which things would those be?"

"I can honestly say I had some fun in the club, and with school festivals."

"Do you enjoy the club when there are no requests?"

"I've...come to realize I was looking forward to club time, even for the peaceful days."

"Peaceful? Do you mean the time would be more peaceful and therefore more pleasurable if no one else was in the club room?"

Well, I could brush that off with a joke, and I certainly owed Yukinoshita a few cubic meters of teasing… but the honest answer was…

"I do look forward to being with the club members," that was the real truth.

"I look forward to being with you in the club every day, Hikigaya-kun," she said with a smile that could melt a heart. A guy could take that the wrong way you know, my whole life was full of taking such off-handed remarks in an unintended way! No, no my face, you have no reason to get getting hot right now. Surely she just means club isn't as boring for her now as it was at the start of the year when she was alone.

We had dinner at an Italian restaurant near the bus station. Some of the things Yukinoshita had to explain to me as they weren't on Saize's menu. All the food was amazing, and I told Yukinoshita as much.

"It is rather good, but I can cook better myself. Would you like to try my Italian cooking someday, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Ah… I'm certain it would be wonderful. But I wouldn't want to trouble you to go to so much work."

"It would be fine. I enjoy cooking."

There were nice girls in my past who said similar things that caused lonely guys to misunderstand… but I never knew Yukinoshita to be nice to everyone.

A cute meganekko waitress brought out a multi-layered chocolate mousse thing with two forks, and set it between us.

"This is on the house, for such a cute couple!"

Hey, we're just club mates, I thought, don't make unwarranted assumptions, waitress-chan!

I looked at the thing, could I really casually share a single dessert with another girl… no this was a bit too much. I cut the dessert in half and I moved one part to the edge of the platter near me.

Yukinoshita laughed and said, "I suppose I should thank you for being so considerate of my health, Hikigerma-kun. But for future reference you should see if the girl is fine with sharing a single dessert."

"Is that how it is?"

I took a bite of my piece. It was fantastic, and I quickly took another.

"Yes, a girl might not be worried about Hikigerms at all, having built up immunity for most of the school year."

So saying she took a piece from my portion, right from the semicircular gap my fork had made! She popped it into her mouth with a grin. This was a whole new level of teasing, Takagi-shita-san! Even her sister never took things that far when pretending to flirt.

What should I do now? Should I avoid the portion with her "indirect kiss" on it, even though she wasn't bothered by that kind of sharing at all? Or should I just play it cool?

"Oh, are you not up to a challenge, Hikiwimpy-kun?", she said in a taunting manner.

I sighed and blanked my mind, and continued to eat where she had taken a part. I tried not to think of Yukinoshita's full pink lips, perfect teeth, cute soft tongue, what it would be like to kiss her.. aw crap, I was totally thinking of all those things and even my ears were on fire!

Yukinoshita had to stop eating she was laughing so hard, shaking with her hand over her mouth. So it wasn't just the elder sister who could be that way, was it? But I knew better than to mention Yukinoshita Haruno-san.

Well she couldn't tease me any more that way, so I could enjoy the dessert peacefully. Except when I reached the last bite, she made a devilish smile worthy of Isshiki, grabbed my hand and put my last piece along with my fork in her mouth while snapping a picture at arm's length with her cell phone!

She then put my hand with the fork in it on the table, and wiped her mouth with a napkin using her other hand. She sent me the picture, it even included a bit of my face so there would be no doubt whose hand that was with her long delicate fingers wrapped it!

"Thank you for sharing dessert with me, Hikigaya-kun! It seems you like this mousse, so you can have the rest of mine."

She put the remaining third of her dessert in front of me and let go of my hand with the fork. Well, I could handle this now, we'd already long passed the point of no return and had caused the breeding of hybrid HachiYuki bacteria in both our systems. Would that be a kind of super-bug that could eat normie antibiotics for breakfast?

For the two block walk to the bus terminal, Yukinoshita was chatting happily about how to make even better versions of the things we had just tried.

"That chicken limone sounds like it might be within reach of Komachi and I to make… "

Yukinoshita pulled out her cell phone and began texting.

She showed me the screen as we went into the sliding automatic door of the bus terminal.

_From: Komachi-chan_

_Yes, you can come over and hold cooking school, Yukino-senpai! We'll supply the ingredients, just let me know a day! Don't bother asking Onii-chan, he's available every evening being utterly useless with no life as you well know!_

"Hiki and Yukinon look like they're really getting along well," Yuigahama said that with a crestfallen face. But then she perked up and was cheerful again.

"But maybe I can get along better too," she declared confidentially.

"Senpai, here we are!" yelled Isshiki, and with Morita-san who was our Secretary-chan came over to us.

Yukinoshita handed me her phone.

"I need to use the washroom, could you please text Hiratsuka-sensei and tell her of the arrival of everyone present so far?"

With that Yukinoshita went into the ladies washroom.

I unlocked her phone, and started a simple text.

_To: Hiratsuka Shizuka-sensei_

_Now present at the bus terminal -_

_Isshiki Iroha_

_Morita Moeri_

_Yuigahama Yui_

_Yukinoshita Yukino_

_Hikigaya Hachiman_

After hitting send, I looked up, Yuigahama and Isshiki were staring at me with their mouths open.

"What?"

"Ah… huh. Hiki and Yukinon are even closer than I thought." Yuigahama didn't seem happy about that though.

_To: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_Very good. See you soon, leaving store three blocks away_

There would be the liquor store that had better prices than the convenience store next to this place

"They really are getting along, aren't they Yui-senpai? Maybe you need to up your game, girl," said Isshiki in a low sly voice and then she elbowed Yuigahama in the ribs.

After Yukinoshita returned, I took out my assessors bag with my toothbrush and related toiletries in it, and excused myself to the washroom. It wouldn't be polite to slay young maidens with Hikidragon breath, after all.

Sensei and Yuigahama bade us farewell, and we went to load and board our bus. Yukinoshita and I were allowed to board first as we had to make our way too the very back. Yes this was the smaller budget model of bus I had remembered from long ago, there was no divider between the reclining seats to take up more space.

"Should we spend two hours doing homework, and then switch to the Saporro Kita High project?"

"That's a good idea, I may as well get that homework over with."

"I have some relaxing studying music in my phone, if you'd like to plug your headphone into this 'Y' adapter", said Yukinoshita as she held the accessory up.

"Ah… okay."

So we both listened to the same music while studying. Isshiki took a picture of us and sent it to Yukinoshita who then forwarded it to me as the bus began the trip.

A half hour later Hiratsuka-sensei sent a message confirming that their bus had also just left.

Just over two hours into the trip, we stopped at a rest area and used that time to change into clothing more comfortable for sleeping later, even though there would be one last stop at 10:45pm. For everyone that was sweat pants and sweatshirt. I noticed the girls weren't wearing bras, I suppose those would be uncomfortable to wear all night long.

While sipping warm MAX Coffee, Yukinoshita and I then made great headway on sorting and categorizing event materials. Sometimes she had to show me the "Mac OS X" way of doing things, since I was a Windows guy for PCs even though I had an iphone. The batteries on Yukinoshita's laptops had very long life compared to anything I was used to, after four hours they still were more than half full.

At the last stop before most passengers would sleep, I could tell Yukinoshita was very tired. Most young people could opt to stay up very late or even all night long, but she seemed to be the type of person with a set bed time.

I didn't want to disturb her by studying more or texting on my phone, so we both adjusted the small provided pillows and blankets. I noticed Isshiki and Secretary-chan were still playing games on their phones.

"Good night, Hikigaya-kun."

"Good night."

Some time later, I woke up to a clicking sound and a flash. There was soft warm weights on my leg and arm, and another on my shoulder. Yukinoshita was asleep, curled up in her chair with her forehead on my shoulder, and holding my arm in both of hers. Her knees were on my leg. I looked forward to see Ishshiki grinning at me and holding her phone.

"Oi!" I whispered that to not disturb Yukinoshita.

Isshiki stuck her tongue out at me and was moving her thumb on the screen of her phone.

A picture had been sent to me, and to… oh no, to Yukinoshita Haruno too!

_From: Yukinoshita Haruno_

_How cute, Hikigaya-kun! You are functioning well as a body pillow, she must really be relaxed around you! Don't you dare disturb my imouto, or there will be hell to pay. She has low stamina and needs a full nights sleep. But if you don't like that position, don't worry she'll change it later. Hahaha!_

I suppose I just had to endure it; I was tired anyway and went back to sleep.

I awoke again at 2:30am to another click and flash. Yukinoshita was now sitting on my right thigh, facing the aisle with her head on a pillow next to my head. The hair in the back of her head was tickling my cheek, and my right arm was around her being hugged again her stomach, and my fingertips were on her hip with my palm on her thigh. I had never touched a woman there before!

_From: Yukinoshita Haruno_

_You're doing great, Hikigaya-kun! I think Yukino-chan is even more comfortable now! Yukino-chan has very toned and shapely hips and thighs, doesn't she? It's from all that horseback riding._

_Damn you, Haruno! And you too, Isshiki!_

_To: Yukinoshita Haruno_

_I am going to remove her gently now, I respect your sister very much and don't wish to embarrass her nor to be touching her improperly._

_From: Yukinoshita Haruno._

_Lots of luck with that, Hikigaya-kun. Just remember I said she's "very clingy" when sleeping. By the way, you're the only man in the world I'd let sleep next to Yukino-chan. Hahaha!_

I moved my arm out of Yukinoshita's, put my right arm under her legs, my left on her back, then moved my leg over while lifting her up. I placed her back onto her chair still curled and facing the aisle. I covered her with her blanket and then went under my own blanket again to sleep.

A click and a flash interrupted a particularly erotic dream, and I woke to find myself with a woman sitting fully in my lap. Our blankets were pushed aside. Yukinoshita's head was on my chest and my arms were around her, that part was my fault apparently. I also was being embraced in return with her arms and hands on my sides. There was trouble down below, too, unlike the horrified brain that my big head had the littler head didn't have a brain and so he was standing at full attention happy at the present turn of events... crap, this was really bad!

_From: Yukinoshita Haruno_

_Ah, finally I have the perfect new wallpaper for my phone! If anything happened during the night you better take responsibility, Hikigaya-kun!_

From this position it was just easier to deposit Yukinoshita into my chair, and for me to go to sleep on her side. I carefully placed a pillow under her head, covered her with her blanket, and then myself with another. The bus was pulling into another rest area, so I quickly went to the washroom as Isshiki covered herself up to sleep.

_From: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_Hikigaya-kun, where are you?_

Seriously, she had woke up once i wasn't there?

_To: Yukinoshita Yukino_

_We're at a rest stop, I'm in the washroom._

As I came out I found that Yukinoshita was entering the rest area, walking with a very unsteady gait. She went into the ladies' room and I waited for her. She came out a few minutes later, and looked as if she'd fall over any minute.

I took her arm and led her back to the bus.

"How did I end up in your seat, Hikigaya-kun?", she wondered.

"You're a restless sleeper."

"Oh, really? I'm very sorry if I disturbed you."

"Not a problem." I lied through my teeth. I didn't want to embarrass her, though the existence of the pictures filled the rear of my mind with some dread.

We went back to sleep, until 6:30am when my phone's alarm went off.

I awoke with Yukinoshita's head laying in my lap, and her hands holding my hips.

I slowly lifted her up, but she awoke and looked up at me.

"I'm so sorry!" she said loudly and bolted upright.

"Ah, don't worry about it. It's not a big deal," I said trying to sound disinterested and cool.

She was blushing and looking away.

The bus was pulling into a stop that had a restaurant.

"Yukinoshita, let's go eat breakfast," I suggested.

"Yes, that's a good idea, Hikigaya-kun," she muttered while holding her left arm yet she was looking directly at me.


	4. Neighbors Harbor Randiness

After we arrived and unpacked into our rooms, we cleaned up and dressed in our school clothes. A shuttle bus took us from the lodge to the school. We entered while Sensei took one last smoke outside.

We were greeted and led by their student council secretary Omo-chan to the council's room. We were also greeted by… another Hiratsuka-sensei? In a tight professional skirt and shirt, and with her hair plaited into a tail, she also had a younger face which made her quite the beauty. Oh but wait, she also had a wedding ring on her finger, otherwise I might have proposed to her on the spot. Well she certainly resembled Hiratsuka-sensei to an uncanny degree.

"Welcome to Sapporo Kita High School, people! I'm the Principal Chinen Shizue. The rest of our student council will be here shortly, you're a bit early. Now you have to understand, because of a certain chain of events earlier this year, the new student council are all members of the Business Club. They're very talented in accounting, making Gantt charts, powerpoints, and spreadsheets….but they have the creativity of a Ricoh copier machine and their ideas are as interesting as drying paint. In short, for coming up with ideas for anything fun, they're as useless as a white colored dry erase marker."

Hmmm, the blunt way she spoke reminded me of someone too. The voice was sweeter and more pleasingly feminine than a certain 'three packs a day' Christmas Cake though.

Chinen kocho-sensei looked out the side door, then ran out of the room into the hallway with her arms outstretched.

"Shizi nee-chan!"

"Shizue, I keep telling you not to call me that! Especially in front of the students"

"Ha, you mean Chinen kocho-sensei then, don't you Hiratsuka-sensei? We'll catch up later, Hiratsuka-sensei."

Somehow the way she said the family name they once shared seemed to be used as a kind of dig at our Sensei's lack of a husband.

Sensei entered the room and flopped down next to me.

"Your imouto?" I asked.

"Yeah, my ultra popular riajuu imouto, three years younger than me. Oh, forgot to add the bit about married to the Assistant Commissioner of Police and successful, she's the youngest Principal this prefecture ever had. My parents have been asking me why I'm not more like her only since I was fourteen."

I knew how to react to that, my skill in dealing with women leveled up this year! I studied Sensei's face before speaking.

"Hmmm…but she's not as pretty as you are though, Sensei."

Hiratsuka-sensei made a little gasp, and her mouth opened a bit as her face started to turn red.

"Hikigaya-kun!"

Sensei sobbed and embraced me, and I almost died of crushing and suffocation by very generously endowed mammaries. I highly recommend this as a cause of death. I wondered if the mortician would be able to get the perverted grin off my face so the coffin lid could be open for the funeral. Or if they'd have to break something so the lid would close when the funeral was done.

However, I felt an arctic weather system begin to build up behind me.

"Don't reward flattery with skinship, Hiratuska-Sensei. That is unbecoming of a teacher."

Those were the words spoken, but somehow I thought of the malignant entity Gozer in the old American supernatural comedy Ghostbusters, commanding the heroes to "Choose the form of the Destructor!" to end the world.

"Ah, sorry, Yukinoshita. My emotions overwhelmed me." Sensei released me as Yukinoshita was pulling my arm with both of hers to get me back into my seat, and I was careful to revert my face to a serious one before facing the front where our club president could see it. Yukinoshita straightened my blazer and my hair while scowling and glaring ominously at Hiratsuka-sensei. Sensei made a contrite low bow to Yukinoshita.

Yukinoshita then folded her arms and turned her head to one side while pouting.

"Hmmph!"

Their student council was staring at the three of us as they entered. I heard some weird things whispered.

"Is that his jealous girlfriend?"

"Is it some kind of love triangle?"

"Does that teacher fancy younger men? I'm going to compliment her too!"

Their student council wasn't what I had imagined at all, I supposed I was fearing another Jazz Hands, groupies, and a curly haired goof ball of a girl spouting "Sore Aru!"

But instead their president Kazuma was realistic. After thanking us for coming he was emphasizing how the officers would have to quickly and efficiently decide which of our suggestions was doable within budget and time constraints. The treasurer told of us the various budgets they had for different categories of expenses. The secretary passed out a summary sheet we could review later.

After introductions, Isshiki had attached a laptop to the projection system and started our presentation, which is to say started a video with Zaimokuza's booming voice that scared their student council officers so much they recoiled backward in shock. He covered possibilities for outdoor games and contests, then turned the show over to Ebina for indoor activities. Hardly any of them were yaoi tainted.

Yukinoshita presented her reference materials and checklists for holding parties, events and celebrations that I had helped her compile. We uploaded a copy to the school's server, and even the teachers that came wanted it for their own personal family, community and religious events.

We returned to the lodge at 8:30pm. I saw our student council president at the door of the room next to my and Imai's.

"Thanks, Morita-san!"

Isshiki was gratefully taking a game console from Secretary-chan who then closed the door to her room.

Isshiki went to Yuigahama and Yukinoshita's door directly across the hall and knocked. So they'd be gaming tonight, hope they didn't keep Yukinoshita up too late.

Imai and I didn't speak much, he read for a while and then was playing with his phone. I worked on finishing the homework, and then read a light novel. We both went to bed at around 10:45pm.

I awoke to the sound of a door closing. Remembering I was in a lodge, I hoped that we had no unwanted guests. After a few seconds of cowardly thoughts caused by scenes from certain movies I should never have watched as a child, I opened my eyes and used the flashlight function of my phone. My hand was mostly blocking the light to be polite to Vice President-kun, as I thought he'd be sleeping on the other bed. Except Imai was nowhere to be seen and the bathroom door was open but the light was out. So, maybe he left for a late night walk, I did that too sometimes. So there wasn't a problem and I went back to sleep.

A women yelling in terror and the impact of a magic hammer suddenly occurred in my dream of flying the Wing Zero around Chiba. I opened my eyes with a start and heard that woman's yell again followed by something slamming the wall next to my head….and that happened again and again at about one second intervals. Was someone practicing kicks with a punching bag next door? Shrieking and trying to kill a rat with a chair and failing again and again? Well, this was really annoying and I wanted to sleep. I couldn't turn a deaf ear to the matter and decided to investigate.

I put on my slippers, remembered to bring my key card, and opened the door. Out in the hall Isshiki was seated again the opposite wall next to the door to room 200 and hugging her knees, looking very unhappy. The racket continued to come out of room 203 next door to my room. The tempo of those sounds was picking up now too.

"What's going on, Isshiki?"

"Those two… they're..."

"Which two are doing what?"

My mind was foggy because my deep sleep was interrupted.

Now there was only a long loud high pitched cry that warbled like an opera singer's voice.

Though there was silence now from room 203, I angrily pounded on the door.

The door was opened by a sweaty vice president-kun Imai, and behind him our spectacled Secretary-chan was crouching on all fours under a blanket with only her head showing, having an open mouth and tongue partway hanging out drooling onto the bed. Finally my tired brain started working again, and I knew what was going on. Ah, so that's what an ahegao face looked like.

Imai was speaking to me.

"Hey Senpai, do you have any spare protection? I only have one left."

That really threw me off, I forgot to be upset for half a minute. It was like he was asking a fish if he had a spare bicycle lock, since a loner such as me had no earthy use for 'protection'. But then my mind returned to the problem at hand.

"You know that howling and pounding on the wall of yours is keeping people up? Specifically, it's keeping me up, you two," I growled at them both and gave them my most rotten look.

"Oh, very sorry Senpai. Oh I know! We'll do it this way."

He went to the end of the bed, crouched down and worked it a bit at a time away from the wall a meter. Then, he took Secretary-chan's panties from the lampshade and stuffed them into her mouth.

"Good night, Senpai!" he said cheefully, simultaneously with Secretary-chan saying a muffled "mmood might mempai" and he closed the door, leaving me dumbfounded.

At least the noise problem was mostly solved. This was probably against the rules but I really didn't pay much attention to that part of the student handbook. To use a fish analogy again, to me those kind of rules were much like instructing a fish in the mandatory separation distance of aircraft.

I was suddenly very weary. I plodded back to my room and opened the door, and entered while a part of my hindbrain was thinking I might possibly be forgetting something. I climbed into my bed, and someone else climbed onto the foot of the bed. They curled into a ball next to my lower legs while using one of my shins as a pillow, and wrapped themselves in the part of the bedspread that had been hanging to the floor. The feeling was nostalgic for me because when Komachi was little she'd sometimes do a similar thing during a thunderstorm.

"Isshiki."

"Yes Senpai?" a wee little exhausted voice sounded from the ball of cloth.

"You can't follow your senpai into a bedroom, climb into his bed, and use his leg as a pillow."

"Sorry. But I'm not sleeping in that oversexed Imai-kun's bed, my virginity would be in danger. I don't want to sleep in the hall where strangers walk by. I'm sooo tired, Senpai, can't we just talk this out in the morning?"

Her voice was very haggard.

Good grief, this was really, really bad. Maybe I should relocate to Imai's bed and beat the crap out of him when he returned and woke me up. Maybe a robust kick to the family jewels would readjust his libido back towards the normal range. Sounded like a plan. Wait, I was a pacifist, wasn't I.

I heard Isshiki's regular breathing, she was sound asleep. I felt bad for her and didn't want to wake her up. So now I couldn't turn about and get comfortable. This was also like a person being held captive by a contented cat using them as a sleeping pad.

I drifted off to sleep.

"HIKI!, how could you!"

"Hi-ki-ga-ya-kun!"

The syllables of my family name sounded like blows of a cold forging press.

I opened my eyes to see a enraged airhead with fists clenched, but I didn't really care about her or whatever she was misunderstanding. Behind her was a grinning Imai-kun giving me a thumbs-up. I didn't care about him either. Instead it was the sight of a furious Ice Queen with her hands on her hips and her eyes projecting rage like the hyperspace focusing fields of a Death Star which made mortal fear run through my veins instead of blood.

Words were spoken in a voice that could freeze liquid helium and snuff out the very flames of hell.

"The bond between a senpai and kohai is a sacred one, and betraying that trust for the purposes of self gratification is an unspeakably vile and…."

All my body's hair was standing on end and my spine had shivers running up and down.

A ball of bedcover at the end of the bed with an orange hairy spot opened up and my kohai sat up out of it, still wearing her jacket and sweat clothes thankfully. I threw off the bed cover and sheet still wearing my sweat clothes of course.

Everyone had stopped talking.

Isshiki spoke.

"Certain people were doing very lewd things in my room when I came back to it after gaming with Yui-senpai and Yukino-senpai, so I couldn't sleep in there. I sneaked into Senpai's room just to find a safe place to sleep. I was scared to use the bed of a certain person, because they might come back here. I knew Senpai would protect me so I slept here. Senpai didn't touch me, he's not that kind of guy, and this is not his fault."

She glared daggers at Imai-kun. All the girls glared daggers at Imai-kun.

"My apologies, Hikigaya-kun, I of all people should know you're 'not that kind of guy'", Yukinoshita said very sweetly and bowed.

Even more true than you know, Yukinoclingyclimbyon. Then she turned to Imai-kun and started to scold him.

"You and your girlfriend should not be disturbing your schoolmates with your sexual activities, Imai-kun!" Yui and Isshiki were nodding and going "uh hmm!"

"Sorry, Yukinoshita-senpai." He bowed on the floor.

"You should not be driving your Student Council President to sleep in some man's bed." Yui and Isshiki nodded again and went "uh hmm! uh hmm!"

"I'm really very very sorry."

"There is a time and a place for such things. You could have, for example, booked a room for a time in the love hotel down the street."

"….eh?!…." we all said.

Yukinoshita sighed.

"I did not say that as a result of personal experience. I have none in such matters as I've never yet had a boyfriend. I was only offering a practical suggestion."

Yukinoshita was weirdly practical in most things, except for cats, pan-sans, and club mates. I knew that was because she had a soft spot in her heart for those particular three things.

"I never thought Yukinon would be that way about..that," Yuigahama muttered.

"The school rules chapter 3 paragraphs 1 through 4 subparagraph c actually don't cover their particular situation," explained Yukinoshita. Wow, she was a really letter-of-the-law type of person, as expected.


	5. Long Day Brings Adventures

Imai-kun took advantage of the others' conversation to stand back up and consult his phone.

"How about that. The family that owns this lodge also own that love hotel. Two vacant rooms left, the Doggy Heaven room and Cat Paradise room. Moeri-chan love dogs, so…" He started tapping on his phone.

"Cat paradise room?" Yukinoshita whipped out her phone and became entranced with whatever was being shown, she had rotated her HTC U11 into landscape mode.

"Synthetic bedspreads and carpet that feel like real cat fur, cat tongue washcloths, optional 'cat cafe time' with owner's two friendly cats…"

Yukinoshita was murmuring with a awe struck face that had expression of joy.

"Huh, now I'm even more surprised at Yukino-senpai," said Isshiki.

"Yukinon! Why would you even look!?" Yuigahama protested loudly.

"Yuigahama-san, please be quiet!"

Yukinoshita didn't even look up, but was scrolling through pictures and descriptions.

She sometimes muttered aloud, "Five 75" UHD 4K screens on ceiling and walls with 1600 hours of cat videos and 600 hours of natural meowing and purring in 7.1 channel Dolby Digital Plus; cat ears, tails and paw props in various colors..."

Her mouth didn't close after she spoke, her hands were trembling, and her face was getting patchy and red in places.

Oh my word, I was fearing an unhealthy fetish was being born; fortunately Yukinoshita didn't have a boyfriend. Ah... though I could just imagine she might even rent the room for herself and… er, oh no, I really shouldn't be imagining that, I really was such perverted scum.

Behind the girls Imai-san was putting the contents of a convenience store bag into a small travel bag. Little boxes that said things like "ribbed, grooved, corkscrew, dots, waves, glow-in-the-dark, and strawberry flavored" were followed by "KY Jelly".

"Later, everyone!" Imai-kun waved as he left with his travel bag.

Then Isshiki's face lit up with an idea, she looked at me, then Yukinoshita. She grabbed Yuigahama's arm and said "Let's stop by my room so I can get freshened up. We can go check out the souvenir store, Yui-senpai!"

"Waaahh! But Yukinon..."

Yuigahama was dragged out and the door closed, and I heard Yuigahama's futile attempts at re-entry but she didn't have a key card. Yukinoshita was still lost in nyaa-vana. I was alone in a room with the school's most beautiful woman who looked… piqued with interest? Even arous…? No, no, no, no! This was bad! Really really bad!

"Yukinoshita."

"..."

"Yukinoshita!"

"...eh? What is it, Hikigaya-kun?"

She finally looked up from her phone and was fanning herself with a tourist brochure from the little wire rack on the desk.

"I'll be going through my morning routine now, probably it would be best if you went with Yuigahama and Isshiki back to Isshiki's room. They just left."

"Ah, yes. So I'll see you... wait… Hikigaya-kun, your toenails seem to be in need of care. Your fingernails are probably fine but even they seem a bit long for a boy."

"Eh?"

I did take care of them, but the last two weeks were rather hectic at school...hmmm, I guess they did need some trimming. This was embarrassing. Also, good grief, I was still alone in a lodge room with Yukinoshita...

"I suppose I can pick up some clippers in the convenience store..."

"Hikigaya-kun, shower and dress in the bathroom and then I'll tend to your nails. Bring two hand towels when you leave the bathroom."

"Huh?"

"Need I repeat myself? No wonder you're often late for school, you are a veritable slug in the morning, Hikisluggard-kun."

She seated herself at the room's desk. "Now go", she commanded as she indicated the washroom, then put on her ear buds and started watching video samples of features of the Cat Paradise room. I felt like utterly filthy human garbage observing her, as if I was spying on a girl in her bedroom indulging a secret hentai fetish.

I showered and took care of my normal daily morning routine in the washroom. Then I grabbed two clean hand towels as per Ice Queen edict, took a deep breath since I didn't know what would happen, and then left the washroom.

Yukinoshita had a little manicure set opened on the desk that I supposed came from her purse. Girls purses were some kind of pocket dimension. She had the wastebasket next to her.

She held out her arm and took the towels from me. She placed one in her lap.

"Sit here on the corner of the bed, and give me your hand."

She adjusted the goose neck desk lamp so it shined on my fingers. She held my right hand in her left hand, and began to work with nail scissors. I tried not to think about how soft her fingers were as they held each of my fingers in various ways, how her hair smelled, or how beautiful her petite nose, cheeks and full lips were as she was focused on my fingertips. She began to hum a very complicated melody that alternated between happy and sad parts; it was a melody line from a movie I remembered about the piano composer Chopin's life. Besides pressing the cuticles back she filed and buffed the nails too… should a guy's nails be so shiny?

All those years of girls saying that holding my hand for dance or gym activities would be disgusting came to my mind, but Yukinoshita did not say such a thing and was even treating my hand as something important and in need of care.

She looked up, and it startled me to be looking into large eyes with such severe intense shape. She made a cute smile, then opened her hand with my own hand resting on the insides of her fingers.

"Your other hand please, Hikigaya-kun."

I withdrew one hand and gently placed my other into her waiting hand. While she worked on my left I looked at my right hand's nails, perfectly done as expected of Yukinoshita Yukino.

"You do amazing work, Yukinoshita, my fingernails have never looked this good before."

"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun."

She began to hum again as she trimmed, this time the piece was what I believe would be called "chamber music"… I never thought such music could be hummed but this girl was not ordinary in certain matters, even if she was very normal and ordinary in other things.

"It's done."

She folded one towel up, set it aside, and put another in her lap.

"Now place your heel up here."

She patted her thigh.

"...really?..."

Beside contacting a woman's thigh with my foot, I was worried about placing too much weight on her, worried about her touching my feet, wondered how clean my feet really were, how disgusting to a girl they should be...

Yukinoshita grabbed my foot with both her hands and plopped it on her towel covered thigh. It seems she wasn't as fragile as I was thinking, nor afraid of a possible Hikifungus infection like my fourth grade gym class. She was using her personal nail kit on me after all!

Holding my large toe with one hand, she began to trim its nail. I was trying not to imagine I was in any way being tickled as her fingers moved around and held my toe various ways, or as she sometimes bent and straightened it. I also tried not to think of her warm palm wrapped around the side of my foot, or her thumb on the underside of my toe. Girl's palms and thumb pads were soft too! She moved on to the next toe, her hand still wrapped around my foot in much the same place, the lower parts of her thumb and fingers were now holding my big toe too as the tips held my second toe.

A lesser mortal might have started to enjoy this kind of contact from a woman, or even develop a fetish. It's a good thing my mind was thoroughly disciplined and..

"eeeYaaahhh!"

My foot and leg shivered as I mustered all my willpower to keep from having it leap and possibly cause Yukinoshita injury.

She had rubbed the callouses at the base of my toes with both her thumbs.

"I was just thinking we should soak these callouses and use the pumice stone this kit has. So, could it be you are ticklish, Hikitickley-kun?"

"… I was only surprised, that's all," I said, not wanting to admit anything only Komachi knew.

Yukinoshita made a very evil grin, suddenly grasped my ankle with a vice-like grip, and ran the back of her nails upward against the bottom of my foot and along the underside of my toes. My eyes watered and I yelled. She then went side to side with that look I can only described as of a cat toying with its prey.

"Stoppit! Stoppit! Please don't do that!" I shrieked.

Yukinoshita was laughing so hard her shoulders were shaking.

"I'm so sorry, Hikigaya-kun, I couldn't resist the temptation."

She went back to work after I calmed myself. Some time later she had me soak my feet in the bathtub, then she worked on the calluses with the pumice. My mouth sometimes twitched because that too made a tickling sensation, and Yukinoshita sometimes giggled at my trying to hold my reactions in check. Then she patted both the top and bottom of my foot with her hands.

"Done."

"You didn't have to do all that, you know. But thank you, Yukinoshita. My feet have never received that much care, and the nails never looked so fine as now."

"You're very welcome, Hikigaya-kun. If I could ask a favor in exchange, I'd like to see the snow and ice sculptures today, but I'm not certain I could find my way there."

She went into the bathroom and was cleaning the nail care kit instruments. Shouldn't she be hesitant about using the bathroom in a boy's lodge room?

"All right, let me get ready to go out and we'll go."

"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun. I'll go get my coat. We can meet in the lobby in ten minutes."

* * *

We had seafood for "breakfast" from the food stalls at the venue, the giant scallops were the best.

The snow sculptures were gigantic and amazing, there was even an Attack on Titan one with a monstrous hand that looked liked its next reach and grasp would be on top of the observer! [check it out on youtube, 'Attack on Titan Sapporo Snow Festival Sculpture Size']. Some works were 15 meters high, like the Taj Mahal sculpture with incredible detail including delicate snow grillwork.

There was one area with an 'amateur couple's snow sculpture' competition, contestants would get to work for a two hours on a cubic meter of snow. The theme was "education". Sculptures from a run yesterday with a different theme had many with animals beside people, buildings and more abstract ideas.

"No one thought to do one with cats, though," Yukinoshita voiced her disappointment.

She took a clipboard from the contest table. Besides the rules and entry form, it had page for a rough draft of the planned sculpture that had to be approved so nothing offensive to general tastes could be sculpted. Censorship was a part of Japanese society, as those who sometimes watched JAV would know as they searched western free porn sites for the uncensored versions of their favorite actresses and genres. Not that I would know anything about that, and by the way the person who invented the "stealth mode" of a browser that left no trace of history or cookies for parents to find should be nominated for sainthood.

"Hikigaya-kun...," she had the page for a rough sketch on the clipboard and was holding a pencil. She had a disarming smile as she stared up into my eyes. Oh no, you can't be serious, Yukinoshita!

"You couldn't possibly be suggesting that we..."

No, we weren't a couple in the first place, and I had only made fancy snowmen, snow women and animals for Komachi in the past… oh wait, it wasn't totally beyond the realm of possibility to make a passable sculpture, and I could make halfway decent sketches too.

Yukinoshita was making pleading kitten eyes at me, and saying "Please, Hikigaya-kun, I think it would be very fun."

She was the type who became extremely competitive and hyper focused on winning at any cost, this sounded not like fun but work with a reward of disappointment at the end. Still, she had generously spent a lot of time taking care of me earlier this morning, and I would feel guilty about not doing something in return if an opportunity arose. Plus, I was weak to beautiful women. And imoutos. And to females making a request with pleading. Yukinoshita thus destroyed my shielding with her threefold attack.

I knew she wanted a certain animal starring in this work.

So I started to sketch a mother and father cat, making a bridge with their bodies and outstretched paws over a river to a teacher cat on the other side, with kittens walking over them toward a college in the distance. Yukinoshita's eyes watching my work were like an anime girl's as she kept grabbing my left arm and saying "oooooh!".

"LOOK AT THIS LOVELY COUPLE, THEY"RE GOING TO ENTER THE SCULPTING CONTEST. AND THEIR EDUCATION THEME WILL FEATURE CATS!"

A booming voice much like Tobe's though older sounded both near us and also was echoed a couple seconds later from giant screens around the venue and from many cell phones. A man with a camera followed that famous news anchor, he was zooming in on my sketch, and a couple more crew were behind him. We were in national news now.

Damn you, gods of RomCom!

I didn't want to speak, I ignored the news crew and more intently finished up my drawing. Maybe they would see I was busy and would go away. The announcer saw the names on the top of the form.

"SO HIKIGAYA HACHIMAN AND YUKINOSHITA YUKINO, GOOD LUCK TO YOU! SAY, ARE YOU THE DAUGHTER OF DIET REPRESENTATIVE YUKINOSHITA YUUDA-SANI?!"

"That is correct, Toshihiro-san. I am the President of the Service Club of Sobu High School in Chiba. My fellow club member Hikigaya-kun and myself are here with the rest of the Service Club and our Student Council of Sobu High in Chiba to advise Sapporo Kita High School with their school's own Snow Festival activities."

"OH, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR WORK THEN, YOU TWO! AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO SAPPORO KITA HIGH SCHOOL, SERVICE CLUB PRESIDENT YUKINOSHITA YUKINO AND CLUB MEMBER HIKIGAYA-KUN!"

"It is our humble pleasure. Thank you for the kind wishes, Toshihiro-san."

Yukinoshita bowed, so I decided to be polite and put down my pencil for a short time. I stood and bowed along with her. She certainly wasn't shy about being in front of a crowd or acting in a situation requiring proper protocol. We had blessed relief after that, the TV crew wandered off looking for anything else of interest. I wondered what Yukinoshita's parents would think if they happened to see that.

_From: Yukinoshita Haruno_

_Oh how romantic, an artistic couple! My father is bemused and I'm telling him about you, Hikigaya-kun. Oh, and my mother is really annoyed._

What! That woman was the scariest being on this planet!

Did this unwanted attention of the Japanese national media and Yukinoshita's mother make me start to hallucinate? Behind him I saw a miniature version of Yukinoshita Yukino running towards us having long hair trailing with a long pink scarf, red and pink overcoat, and a pink beret on her head.

_To: Yukinoshita Haruno_

_Oops. I'm at family gathering, was saving that news video to my phone's library but Hayama-kun saw picture of Yukino-chan sleeping on you. He's furious. Sorry, I may have to keep an eye on him._

Oh great, more misunderstandings with Hayama. That guy had a violent streak when it came to Yukinoshita Yukino.

Now that mini-Yukino mirage had materialized in front of me, somewhat out of breath. She was real?

"Hachiman. Yukino."

I knew that voice, and that face, and even that pink beret.

"Rumi-Rumi!" I said, using my cute idol name I created for her during the Christmas Festival.

"It's just Rumi, you creep!"

Yup, that's right she totally hated my cute idol name I created for her.

"Don't call your elder a creep, Rumi-Rumi, it's not polite."

"You're the creepiest creep that ever creeped, you old creeper Hachiman!"

Rumi folder her arms defiantly.

Yukino was giggling behind us.

"You may as well give up, old Creepygaya-kun can't change his ways easily, Rumi-chan. Good morning."

"Good morning, Yukino," greeted Rumi and she bowed. I didn't rate a bow, apparently.

"I'm here with my mother for the weekend. So you two are going to make that? It's a very good idea, Hachiman. I hope you both do well," said Rumi.

"Thanks."

"Thank you, Rumi-chan. I'll turn in the entry form, see you in a bit."

Yukinoshita zoomed off to the entry booth. I saw her indicating me as she spoke with the judge.

"So Hachiman, you're dating Yukino now?" asked Rumi. Don't make assumptions, Yukino Mark II!

"No, we're just hanging out. We're not a couple or anything."

"Baka Hachiman!" Rumi stepped closer and flicked my forehead.

"Ow! Rumi-Rumi, what was that for?!"

"It's Rumi! And listen Hachiman," Rumi looked seriously into my eyes. "Yukino really loves you, I can tell."

She looked at her phone which had just chimed.

"My mom wants me to come back now, goodbye for now, Yukino and Hachiman!"

Rumi said that with a loud voice and she waved. Behind her I heard Yukinoshita as she returned.

"Yes, goodbye, Rumi-chan. It was good to see you here today!"

"Bye, Rumi-Rumi"

Rumi turned and pulled her eyelid down at me with her tongue stuck out. Cute!

"Hikigaya-kun, it's a half hour before today's first contest starts, they have practice blocks of snow over there. I suggest we avail ourselves of the chance to improve our skill and teamwork."

We settled on a strategy where I would quickly make rough forms and Yukinoshita would finish them. She was good at sculpting details as I recalled ridiculously intricate bunny sculptures she had made from pears at the middle school camp the past summer. Snow was a great medium for amateurs like us because one could patch minor mistakes. Well mostly I had to patch mid-sized mistakes in my rough shapes under Yukinoshita's guidance, she didn't make any mistakes.

_From: Yukinoshita Haruno_

_Good grief Hayama-kun is on a plane to Sapporo. Well I guess I'll see you both soon!_

Just great. And… Yukinoshita Haruno would be here too? I decided to relay a watered-down version of the truth to Yukinoshita, I was too embarrassed to give the full details.

"Uh...you know, I received a text from your older sister. It seems Hayama saw a picture of us together and is having more misunderstandings. He's angry and coming here on an airplane. Your sister said she'll be here too."

"Oh, is that so? Hamaya-san should have learned his lesson the first time, perhaps some more instruction and correction will be necessary. But now we'll have to put up with Nee-san. That Hayama-san..."

Yukinoshita's eyes were glinting with ill intent as she spoke in a menacing low tone, and her hands were assuming various shapes that looked ominous... ooo, you're terrifying me, woman.

"Well no matter, let's win this competition, Hachiman!" Yukino held her hand high and her voice was again cheerful, and I hit it with my palm just like that time before the Sobu sports festival. We made our way over to a block of snow as the judges directed us.

Two hours later, we finished and were exhausted and hungry since it was lunch time. Judges were surveying the works and would announce a decision an hour later. Yukinoshita and I were eating more wonderful stall food, she had lobster and shrimp while I opted for the oiliest spiciest pork and seafood ramen in my life yet… pure bliss!

And then… it was announced that we won. We had to stand by our sculpture in front of cameras and were given a prize of a gift certificate of 30,000 yen to spend together, and they gave that to Yukinoshita. Yukinoshita was quite caught up in the moment and hugged my arm with both of hers and pressed her head on my shoulder, people might get the wrong idea for sure.

"I'm so happy, Hikigaya-kun! Thank you!"

"It was fun. You're welcome, Yukinoshita."

"OH, YUKINOSHITA-SAN MUST REALLY LIKE YOU, HIKIGAYA-KUN. WHAT A LUCKY YOUNG MAN!" bellowed the famous news anchor in that voice that was so like an older Tobe.

I know, let's just tell the entire Japanese nation that misconception. Oh wait, I think you just did, idiot Tobe-like news anchor-kun.

Leaving the contest area, we both received a text from Hiratsuka-sensei.

_From: Hiratsuka Shizuka_

_Congrats you two! What a cute couple! We're having a meeting at 2:30pm back at the lodge in meeting room B about the school event. If you run into Imai-kun or Morita-san please tell them as they're not answering their phones._

I knew where they were.

Near our lodge, I told Yukinoshita to go on inside, that I would go down the street to the love hotel and relay the message to our school's fornicating student council officers. I of course was being considerate of Yukinoshita's reputation, there was already enough gossip fodder in play without that kind of rumor!

The woman at the front desk watching a TV, I had seen her already at the lodge when we arrived, she was the big jolly grandma of the family that owned the lodge and this place. She probably weighed almost twice what I did.

"Oh yes, the Doggy Heaven room is number 302 on the third floor", she indicated the elevator and went back to watching her soap opera. Wonderful, I had to do this myself.

There were muffled female dog imitation howls coming from room 302, just like in anime where they always use a seiyuu rather than live dogs for some reason. I pounded on the door but stood to its side facing away as I did NOT want to see anything this time.

The door opened, and a sweaty Vice-President Kun in a robe and wearing dog ears appeared in front of me. You know I was facing the other way for a reason, you horny little brat. A tail was hanging out of his robe that matched dog ears and paw mitts.

"Oh hi, Senpai! We found 'corkscrew' textured protection feels the best!"

"Thank you for that completely useless information, Imai-kun. You would tell a fish the best shape for a supersonic wing too, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, you do it bare-back Senpai?"

I sighed.

"No, I'm a loner and don't do it at all, ever, you idiot!"

"But Yukinoshita-senpai really likes you, Senpai!"

"I've been getting that a lot recently," I muttered. "Anyway, Hiratsuka-sensei says we have a meeting back at the lodge's meeting room B at 2:30pm."

"That's fine, our time is almost up."

"Hey Hisi, we have time for one more 'Junkyard bulldog attacks house poodle'! Hurry! Yip! Yip! Yip!" yelled and barked our normally shy and demure Secretary-chan from inside the room.

I walked away quickly so as not to hear anything else, but as I turned the corner my arm was grabbed by a strong big woman who had Yukinoshita following her. She just had to see it in person, eh?

"Oh, you can see it too, young man, it's our cutest room!"

The lodge family grandma was bigger and heavier than me so I couldn't pull away as she dragged me into room 305. Yes, this definitely was a room dedicated to felines, cat shaped things and cat fur textured things were everywhere. The Grandma pressed a button on a remote and purring piles of cats were on five big screens including on the ceiling. Yukinoshita was enraptured, inspecting the room and petting the bedspread. The door opened and one of the grandchildren came in carrying two big contented cats, one on each of his arms.

"Here you two, sit on the front couch."

The grandma dragged me there and plopped me down, as if I had any polite way to resist her big beefy arms. A big calico cat was deposited into my lap, and it stretched and lay there purring. Yes, this was indeed a friendly fat cat. I started to pet it as Yukinoshita sat next to me and received her object of worship, another big cat, a tabby.

The elderly woman said "Just don't disturb anything else in the room please. You can sit here for 20 minutes, then please come back to the front desk with the cats."

Yukinoshita stopped petting her cat, it had fallen asleep so she just rested her hand on it so as not to disturb it. She was indeed in Cat Paradise in her mind. These truly were world class friendly and lazy fat cats.

Now my cat seemed to be sleeping, and then a weight pressed on my shoulder. Yukinoshita's limited stamina had been drained with the snow sculpting, and she was taking a nap too.

I don't know why I did it, but I took a picture of us with my phone held at arm's length. Well, it was a good picture, and no one else need ever see it.

It was 25 minutes already, we needed to be going. I gently shook Yukinoshita's shoulder, and she pouted when I informed her we had to return the cats. They didn't even wake up as we carried them in the elevator, with Yukinoshita pressing her cheek to hers as she carried it. When we reached the front desk, the grandma asked a favor of us.

"Could you carry that cat back to the desk at the lodge, my daughter will take it. He lives there."

She was indicating Yukinoshita's tabby cat.

I heard a helicopter very loud and only perhaps a block away, but it didn't wake the cats.

"Yes, I'd be delighted. Thank you so much for showing the room and for letting us spend time with your wonderful cats."

Yukinoshita bowed with arms cradling the big cat.

"Thank you very much," I said and bowed, and we started out the door.

But on the path to the sidewalk there was an enraged Hayama who walked right up to me.

"Hikigaya, what have you been doing with Yukino-chan in this love hotel?!"

Ooo, he should remember she didn't like him calling by her childhood name. Well, he wasn't in his right mind anyway.

"Don't misunderstand..." I started to speak but Hayama punched me hard in the face, making me fall backwards onto the porch.

Yukinoshita was putting the tabby cat down gently and quickly on a bench.

I saw a sight I had seen once before, of an arm going across his chest, but it couldn't have been Yukinoshita's as she was a meter to the side. But Hayama was not going to fall for such a trick again, he countered by grabbing that arm in front and another one at his other side. He was starting to flip a person, and I saw the face of Yukinoshita Haruno start to rise behind him. So that helicopter I heard, did she rush here in that?

The older Yukinoshita sister had the grin of a demon sociopath on her face as Hayama lifted her, and she snapped the top of her foot upward between Hayama's legs, hard into his Hayato-junk. Whatever he had for lunch and maybe breakfast too started to pour out of his mouth. Haruno used her still pinned arms to propel herself upward and to the side of Hayama, and she head butted him hard in his temple. Hayama released her, staggering as he fought to maintain consciousness. Haruno pushed off him to land to his side, then one leg went skyward almost too fast to see as she grunted a loud kiai. Her foot connected with the side of Hayama's head and he fell to the walkway in a heap though Haruno quickly jumped and stopped his head from hitting the concrete with her arm. He was spasming, sometimes choking on his vomit.

The younger Yukinoshita sister also was grinning like an imp from the bowels of hell, she had already picked up her beloved cat again which now was awake but didn't seem too troubled.

"Thank you, Nee-san, for saving me the trouble of further adjusting Hayama-san's unjustified mindset. Hikigaya-kun, are you all right?"

"You're welcome, Yukino-chan. Always remember those counter-counters and even the counter counter-counters! I suppose I'll have to tend to jealous cucked-boy here and make sure he doesn't choke to death. I'll take Hayama-kun to a clinic."

She lifted her phone and made a call, though Hayama was awake now and slowly sat up. She was wiping his face with tissues.

"I think I'll be fine," I said but the bruised area under my eye hurt to even touch.

"I can't believe you tried to flip me, Hayama-kun. Is that any way to treat your loving Nee-san who's watched you all these years?"

She pouted for a couple seconds but then was beaming again.

"But Hayama-kun, you need to behave yourself with Hikigaya-kun, or I'll have to give you a real beating next time, okay? "

A cackling laugh sounded behind us, the grandma was slapping her knees and was crying with laughter.

"Oh, that's the funniest love rival quarrel I've seen yet. Here young man, put this ice pack on that bruise."

"Thank you, madam," I said.

"Thank you, madam. Hayama-san wasn't a rival though, he can't compete at all with Hikigaya-kun."

Hayama's face fell even further, now he only looked very sad.

"Let's go back to the lodge, Hikigaya-kun, and I'll have a look at that injury."

She glared death at Hayama as we walked by.


	6. Maidens Harbor Feelings

"I'm going to the clinic half a kilometer from here to have some words with Hayama."

I was with Sensei who was looking at my face and had me recount the meeting with Hayama. Hey don't make that martial arts fist Sensei, there is no more need for violence. I had been conditioned to fear that fist since I'd been on the receiving end of its blows at times. I didn't wish for any more violence to Hayama. I'm a pacifist after all. And I'm a coward when it comes to physical violence, it hurts!

I now had a bandage on my face thanks to Yukinoshita, and in an hour I'd get an ice pack from the front desk to place on my eye again. The council members and assistants from Sapporo Kita High were here for our meeting too. I sat down in the rear of the meeting room against the wall so my face wouldn't be a distraction. A folding chair was placed next to me and Yukinoshita sat down on it. No one had noticed me but of course our school's Ice Cold Beauty stood out wherever she went, and so now everyone was staring at us. Yuigahama had a particularly sad look on her face.

We were told the city would be lending the school some snow from the snow making machines they used, specifically the 1 meter blocks with texture perfect for sculpting and also some number of loose piles of the stuff. We were to figure out what to do with this bounty.

Yukinoshita spoke up with three suggestions that were received very well. Each school's two teams, red and white would have sub teams for each contest.

She also proposed a snow sculpture contest with teams of four, one artistic person paired with those of more normal ability. There would be training and practice times since they'd have more than enough snow.

Snow baseball would have single person from each sub-team throw snowballs as a pitcher from a mound at the center of a "diamond" laid out with coloring on the snow. They'd have to knock over large empty jugs on little hills on each "base", and there was a time limit. They'd have enough snowballs for four tries at each jug, and the jugs would be placed back when the next person came onto the mound.

She then suggested a snow pyramid building contest, with very large "snowballs" that would have to be rolled and lifted into position. The base would be 4 by 4 balls, with 3 by 3 stacked on that, and then 2 by 2 with a capping snowball on those four having a flag planted on it to have the timer stopped. Each sub team's win would add to the team score.

I was impressed by the change in Yukinoshita. Of course she always worked the very hardest of anyone on any club or school project we'd done before, and had superb project management skills far exceeding anyone else's. But never before was she the one to come up with the ideas that actually were used.

Suddenly many people in the council had their phone chime with messages. Some were watching their phones and looking towards Yukinoshita and myself. Someone had uploaded to youtube one of the love hotel security camera's recording of our encounter with Hayama, his punching me and then Haruno taking him out. There was chuckling and grins our way. The president chided everyone to get focused back on the matter at hand.

While the Sapporo Kita president was discussing logistics and snow requirements, Yukinoshita was peeling back the bandage from my eye. Her eye was so close to my cheek, I think I was blushing even before she gently started probing the area very near my eye. She had a scowl on her face.

"I'm worried because the swelling is getting closer to your ocular orbit," she said quietly.

She started to tap away on her phone.

"Let's go."

She stood up.

Then to the students she said, "Excuse me, I'm sorry but Hikigaya-kun needs to be examined by a doctor so we'll be leaving now for the clinic."

Then she stood up and took my hand, pulling me up and out of the room. As we went down the hall, I had some reservations.

"Is that really necessary, I don't want my parents to have to spend the money."

Even though that would only be 30% of the bill I knew that could get expensive.

"My family will be paying for your care, Nee-san already has arranged for it."

"Really? But this wasn't really your family's fault, and while I'm thankful for being saved by your sister from a further beating, she doesn't have to do anything more. Maybe Hayama's family should be paying, though I don't want any more trouble for him either."

"There is actually a matter of our two families' relationship that Nee-san is trying to maintain since it would be bothersome if it fell apart. My sister is giving Hayama-san one last chance to mend his ways since someday he'll likely be our family's legal counsel just as his father is. Hayama-san has been acting in an immature manner since there was something he always assumed about his future regarding me."

I think I knew what that assumption was, but wasn't going to say it. Somehow the thought made me ill.

"You're not going to ask, Hikigaya-kun?" She said this as we boarded a taxi. Well, then I had to ask.

"Was he assuming there would be a certain marriage in the future?"

I didn't want to specify names.

"Yes, my mother wants us to be married someday, Hikigaya-kun. Do you think that's a good idea?"

She made the strangest smile at me.

"Only you can decide the merits of that, Yukinoshita," I said.

That was a true statement, but it was also true my stomach was tightening.

"Oh… but I'd like your subjective and biased but honest opinion on that, Hikigaya-kun."

Her smile was getting bigger. I didn't have a right to comment on such matters of rich and powerful families.

"Hayama is a nice guy, but he seems to value peace and harmony with his casual acquaintances more than anything else, and of meeting everyone's expectations more so than his personal relationships. More than the feelings of those that should be his closest friend. I won't say how I learned this. Maybe he'd not value a woman over those things? I think you should have a man… who values you more than anything else."

My face was getting red but I managed not to stutter.

"I hold a similar opinion regarding Hayama-san," said Yukinoshita. "I don't want to marry such a person, indeed don't want to have any sort of romantic relationship with such a person, and so I will not. My mother might get her way in certain matters of my future, but I've decided not that one."

"I see." Why was she telling me these things?

We had arrived at the clinic, and Yukinoshita Haruno was at the receptionist's window in the lobby.

"Hello, Hikigaya-kun! Just follow this nurse!"

I was led to one of the areas partitioned with curtains, though I thought it was strange Haruno went ahead and went into another bay further down. I heard a familiar voice.

"Ahhh! Really, Haruno-san, this is so embarrassing! I can just wait until the nurse returns to continue the procedure with the ice pack..."

"Just endure it, Hayama-kun, I'm doing this because I wanted to free the nurse to be with Hikigaya-kun. Besides, I've seen you in the bath when you were little."

"Ahhhh, so cold! And stop looking, I'm not a little child now!"

Hayama was probably getting an ice pack held to the family jewels.

The nurse removed the bandage from my cheek and started to make notes while prodding me at times. Then a doctor entered and started to examine my face, and then when I gave a redacted version of what happened he also wanted to check out my back and buttocks where I had landed. So I was completely nude, with the doctor behind me when Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly stepped into the bay. She jumped back out quickly, even before I could react and cover myself.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hikigaya-kun! I thought only your face was going to be examined."

I then heard Yukinoshita Haruno talking with her younger sister further away.

"So, Yukino-chan, what exactly were you doing at the Shimoda's love hotel with Hikigaya-kun? I'll assume you probably weren't…."

I heard the nurse laughing at Haruno.

"Nee-san! Don't make lewd gestures! Of course we didn't do that!"

"Hikiaya-kun went there separately, to inform some people there of our 2:30pm meeting regarding the school's festival. The mother of the Shimoda family offered to have their grandmother show me the cat themed room there and to meet two of their family's cats. I admit I had a moment of poor judgment because of the allure of felines and a feline theme and agreed to go there."

"What is it with you and cats, Yukino-chan?"

"*Ahem* When I was there, the grandmother, being a woman of strong and robust stature, also pulled Hikigaya-kun into the cat room and put him on the front couch next to me with a cat. We stayed there 20 minutes to hold cats on the couch, nothing more."

Well she slept on my shoulder too for an extra five minutes but it was fine she left that out. Actually, the older sister didn't mind the younger using me as a body pillow anyway.

"Still Yukino-chan, you need to always be mindful of the family reputation. Hopefully our parents don't find out about that part, they already have seen you with Hikigaya-kun. The version of events I've told them is that Hayama became jealous of the guy you obviously favor and hit him. Hayama has agreed to my version of the story, of course. I hope you intend to speak seriously with Hikigaya-kun soon, by the way."

"Yes, Nee-san. I will do it, so don't concern yourself."

Yukinoshita had a voice of conviction. What important matter was she going to speak of with me?

"By the way I just learned two things today, Yukino-chan. Hayama is big, but Hikigaya-kun is even bigger and longer! Someday you're going to be a very lucky woman, Yukino-chan!"

"Nee-san! I-I-I'm s-s-ssure I d-d-d-on't know what you're t-t-t-alking about!"

Yukinoshita's brisk footsteps went away from her raucously laughing sister, past my bay and into the lobby.

Yui and Yukino in the clinic lobby

"Yukinon, is Hiki going to be okay?"

"Yes, the doctor said he'll just have to put an ice pack on his cheek three times a day for the next three or four days."

"Hayato isn't going to try to hurt Hiki any more, is he?"

"No, Hayama-san promised to behave himself, since he almost ruined his future as a lawyer with the Yukinoshita's today. He almost was suspended from school but instead will have to do various cleaning chores for the rest of the school year, and to formally apologize to Hikigaya-kun."

"Well, my other friends are having trouble over this, maybe Hayato's group won't all be together any more. Yumiko is angry with Hayato because of his feelings, and along with Hina I'm angry at Hayato because he hurt Hiki. I think we won't be hanging around with the guys any more, unless Tobe… ah never mind.

"Hey, Yukinon… you've been spending a lot of time with Hiki. Do you… like Hiki, Yukinon?"

"Yes. Tonight I will confess my love to him and ask him to be my boyfriend. I know you have feelings for him too, so you also should tell him how you feel. In fact, Yuigahama-san, I encourage you to tell him!"

Yukino hugged Yui, the first time she had ever initiated a hug. Then she kept her hands on Yui's shoulders as she looked into her eye.

"Because, Yuigahama-san, I'm not going to hold back and I don't intend to lose to you. It will be up to Hikigaya-kun to choose between us if we both confess."

"I don't think I have a chance against you, Yukinon. You and Hiki always seem to go into your own little world with each other."

"I don't know what is going to happen, but I think you'll regret not telling him, Yuigahama-san."

"Except there has always been a distance between between me and Hiki, that I've never been able to close… One of the things I loved about the club was that it gave me a time to be with Hiki… I tried to have times outside the club too but… it's all over, isn't it?"

"I don't know, Yuigahama-san. What is over and what goes on will be the result of our choices and what we try."

"I'll always be your friend Yukinon. Something may happen soon that makes me sad for a while, but I'll be all right later, okay?"

"I can promise the same to you, Yuigahama-san. I'm going to go back to the lodge now. Hikigaya-kun should be out soon."

Yuigahama came out of the lobby washroom as I was receiving instructions at the desk.

"Hiki, I heard you're going to be fine."

"Yes… thank you for stopping by, Yuighama. Oh, did Yukinoshita leave already?"

"Yes, she went back to the lodge. Hey Hiki, there's a coffee shop in the strip mall next door, let's have some coffee and cake, to celebrate!"

"Celebrating my getting punched in the face?"

"No, you idiot! Celebrating your good exam results, that you'll get better soon! I'm buying!"

"Well, free coffee and drink shouldn't be passed up."

"Awww! Just come on, stop trying to kill the mood you stupid Hiki!"

As we left the lobby four other students from Sapporo Kita looked across the street at as. I could hear their conversation even as Yuigahama was telling me about her morning with Iroha.

"Wow, that guy sure is a player, love hotel in the morning with one beauty, in the cafe with another in the afternoon."

"Wow, she's stacked like a porn star! Filthy riajuu."

"No wonder he gets beat up."

Their discussion faded away.

"Hey Hiki, have you ever thought of what you're going to do with your college degree?"

"I'll probably wind up the same as my father, a corporate droid suffering doing some vague job for too many extra hours each day beyond the 8 that a flat salary would cover."

"Heh, sounds such a boring life yet so reliable too. You're very serious about working when you decide to do something, Hiki."

"So, Yuigahama, you're going to college?"

"If I can pass the exam I will, my parents want me to try. But really I want to be… a housewife like my mother. I just need to get my cooking skills improved for that, I think I can already handle the rest. If I can work for a few years after getting married that'd be fine...but then I want children. A girl and a boy. And I'd prefer to stay home and take of them and the house. Oh, and have a dog too!"

"That's very realistic, more concrete than my plans really, and you'll probably do those things."

"So, Hiki, do you ever want to be married, and have children?"

Well, she told me her ideas, so I supposed I could return in kind.

"Yes, someday. A boy and a girl at least sounds good too. Of course, that's like my family now."

I paid for the bill though.

"I did promise to buy you something in return for that honey bread, after all."

We decided to walk the two kilometers back to the lodge, when Yuigahama pulled me into a park with evergreen bush gardens partially covered by snow and cobblestone walkways.

"Hiki, at first you were like a misunderstood hero to me, when I saw how you saved Sablé and then helped others in the Club. I also saw how hard you worked when the projects needed it. I looked forward each day to going to the club with you and being with you. You act tough and cold, but really are tender hearted and kind. I'd...like to be with you always. So… I want you to be my boyfriend Hiki, I love you!"

Yuigahama put her arms behind her back, put one foot on its toes behind her other leg, and waited for me to reply with a smile. I'd just been confessed to by our school's sweetest girl, the one that could get along with the most difficult people as well as the most popular. She and one other girl were the most beautiful in our school, and Yuigahama was the one of the two beauties with the voluptuous figure.

Somehow I knew this was going to happen, back at the coffee shop. I think she was going to confess to me months before, when I interrupted her to tell her to answer her mom's phone call after the fireworks. She also had been pushing me to take her somewhere… it really was wrong of me to be in denial of her feelings and to keep procrastinating a "promise date". Rather hypocritical of me to claim to want 'a genuine thing' but do that. So, what did I feel for Yuigahama Yui?

If I were to be honest, there was one more young woman whose feelings had been obvious, and whom I'd been in denial about and ignoring.

There was one woman who I had always looked forward to seeing, to being with, either quietly or to talk with her. One woman that caused me to be miserable when fellowship with her was broken and so happy when it was restored.

Yuigahama Yui was a nice girl, a beautiful girl, a shapely girl and a fine mediator too. But she wasn't quite what Hikigaya Hachiman would want for a girlfriend. I knew that was the truth. Still, I remembered how painful getting flippantly rejected was, I wanted to be gentle.

"Thank you for telling me that, Yuigahama. You're important to me, and I enjoy being with you, but… I think I might have feelings for another woman and so it wouldn't be right for me to accept your confession. I'm sorry."

"… that's okay Hiki, I still had to say it or I'd never forgive myself. Well, maybe I could go back to the lodge later, if you're going there now..."

I brushed off a bench.

"Ah… I think I'll stay here a few minutes, if you want to go back now."

Then I sat down, to be polite but to ensure I'd get my way.

"Bye, Hiki."

Now she had tears on her face.

"See you later."

Her crying started when she was half a block away. When she was gone I sighed. That was very stressful and I felt bad and guilty about causing Yuigahama pain. Now what would I do about a certain other woman? One who came with much more troubles than Yuigahama. A young woman with a troublesome family including a noisy and meddlesome older sister, scary manipulative and forceful mother, world class successful father ("bemused" by me, what does that mean?), and who herself was stubborn, prideful, scornful, vindictive, pontificating… yet warm, caring, hardworking, kind, scared of dogs and horrors and heights and wild amusement park rides, who loved cats and pan-sans to the point of mania, loved reading and peaceful times, loved philosophical discussions and debate…

What did I want?

"So you rejected Gahama."

A voice near my ear made me jump.

"Yaah! Don't frighten people like a stalker! Wait you are a stalker, you totally were stalking me! And her name is Yuigahama."

"Sorry for the scare. Not sorry for the stalking."

Haruno stuck her tongue out at me.

"Yes, Yuigahama. So she's not your type? What is your type, Hikigaya-kun?" asked the elder Yukinoshita sister as she came around, stood in front of me and bent down close to my face.

"That's what I'm thinking about right now," I said.

That same group of students that was across the street when I exited the cafe with Yuigahama was at the entrance to the little park.

"Wow, third beauty today! She's got it in all the right places too! That guy is a regular master pimp!"

"Dude got a harem, like one of those Saudi oil barons!"

"I know, right? Hogging all the women while pure hearted guys like us get nothing."

"If this was a romcom, next he'd be with a trap."

The students walked off with their misunderstandings and assumptions. No, Totsuka was back in Chiba, you stupid punk. Wait, why did I think that?

But Haruno was still speaking.

"You know, Yukino-chan was telling me she had been relying on you too much and wants to stop doing that. Must be really nice having a beautiful girl relying on you, isn't it, Hikigaya-kun? Did that make you feel good? Needed? Not lonely any more?"

Her words stabbed me in the heart. I knew then that I had been disgusting and pathetic. I had become addicted to having people rely on me, to feel important and wanted and so I made them rely on me.

"Yeah. I do have have that problem," I said miserably. " I'll stop doing that...it's not the relationship I want to have with her or anyone else. Maybe I should just be a loner again, that would be better than..."

Haruno threw a handful of loose snow in my face, lightly. Some went in my mouth and most landed on my other cheek that wasn't bandaged.

I spit out snow and wiped my face.

"Bzzzzzt! The world isn't going to allow you to be a loner, Hikigaya Hachiman! Nor will it allow Yukino-chan to be one either. And my imouto isn't going to leave you alone. So… what kind of relationship do you want with Yukino-chan? Well, bye for now, Hikigaya-kun!"

She walked away waving, not waiting for my answer. It was like she was her imouto's and my self-appointed conscience.

I walked back to the lodge, and someone was waiting for me in the lobby.

"Hikigaya-kun, we have a 30,000 yen certificate that could be used for most anything as it's a Visa gift card. Would you like to use some of it by going to a Yakiniku restaurant with me? [diners grill their own beef, other meats and vegetables on gridiron at the table] There is one two blocks away."

Beef would be a good variation from the mostly seafood, pork and chicken we had at the food stalls. Also free food should not be refused. She was being kind being willing to go to a restaurant with someone like me. Those would be the things my usual self would have thought. But none of those things were what this really was about.

"Yes, I'd like to do that, Yukinoshita. Let me get changed, though I have no fancy clothes."

"It's fine, Hikigaya-kun, I too will dress casually. I can make the reservation now."

After setting up a reservation on her phone, she said "Shall we meet here in the lobby in 45 minutes?"

"Yes, see you then."

* * *

After showering, shaving, and putting on the best of my travel clothes, I then begged Imai-kun for some hair gel and combed my hair the way Komachi had styled it for the time we went to see Kawasaki regarding her bar tending job.

"Whoa, Hikigaya-kun, big date huh? Is she hot?"

"No, Imai-san, she's an Ice Queen."

"Ah, Yukinoshita-san eh?"

"Yes."

"So… you think you'll get lucky? Gonna get some?"

He held out a box of weirdly textured latex with a label I'd be too ashamed to mention even to other guys.

"No, those types of activities aren't in my plans at all."

"You're totally weird, man."

"Yes I am, Imai-kun. So is my date, for that matter."

"Well, good luck anyway."

"Thank you."

I returned to the lobby 5 minutes early, but Yukinoshita was already there. Her hair was tied in front in that pink scrunchie I had given her for Christmas. Behind her a few meters away Yuigahama, Hiratsuka-sensei, Yukinoshita Haruno, and Isshiki were seated on the lobby couches and talking.

"You're early, Hikigaya-kun. That's rare. Free food must indeed really motivate you."

"Maybe it was that, maybe I was motivated by something else."

"Shall we go then, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Yes."

"Good luck, Yukinon!" "Best of luck, Yukino-senpai!" "Good luck, Yukino-chan!" Four women had their fists raised, as if we were going to run a marathon.

Also there was a single phrase of encouragement for me.

"Good luck, Hikigaya!"

Haruno elbowed Sensei in the ribs. "I mean good luck, Yukinoshita!"

I would assume the women had been gossiping about a certain topic…the cat was out of the bag. Or rather, a cat was now on my arm as we walked down the sidewalk towards the restaurant… or were we?

"We are going the correct way to the restaurant, yes?"

"Why Hikigaya-kun, do you think I'm the sort to get lost walking only two blocks?"

"Should I be polite, or should I answer that honestly?"

"Hiratsuka-sensei did say to go left after we exited the lodge, and that it was on the opposite side of the street two blocks away. But you've helped me a few times when I became lost and confused, haven't you, Hikigaya-kun?"

"I only remember two times, at the animal show [LN only] and on the school trip."

"There were other times, but I wasn't lost physically speaking. I am speaking of times I didn't know what to do."

"But Yukinoshita, I went too far. Since I was a loner most my life, I enjoyed the change of having people suddenly rely on me. So I went to extremes to make people rely on me, did things for others that they should have done themselves. I am really sorry I treated you that way, for it was with you I did that the most."

"No, I'm to blame. I took the easier way again and again, as Nee-san said acting like my mother making others do the dirty work. But I won't do that to you any more, Hikigaya-kun. I promise I'll do my part in projects and club activities from now on, even to coming up with ideas. I propose that we support each other rather than improperly rely on each other."

"Yes, that would be good. Probably it's a kind of balance we'd have to work to get right."

We had arrived, and hung up our coats. Yukinoshita was wearing a tan sweater dress and black leggings. We were seated and we ordered a platter with cuts of beef and all kinds of vegetables.

"Hikigaya-kun, when this school year ends, the Service Club will end too. There will no longer be any reason for us to be together or work together."

"That's true."

I could admit something about that now, that I felt empty about the next school year being without her at all.

"The thought of that makes me sad. I would really miss you, Yukinoshita."

The platter arrived and we started piling things onto the grill.

"I would miss you very much too, Hikigaya-kun. There is no one else I look forward to seeing each day, or talking to each day, as much as you. There is no one else I worry about, or wish I could know more about, than you."

Yukinoshita was looking at me and smiling, and flipped all the things on the grill over without even looking at them. She wanted me to respond. I could reply in a vague ways that kept the conversation going for a long time.

Or.

Certain things really should be said after a dinner not during it, to at least enjoy an expensive meal before the possibility of having one's hopes and expectations crushed into the dirt happened. I knew all about having my heart crushed, early and often. But the conversation had already come to a certain place, and I already knew what one thing I had been avoiding for many months.

I cleared my throat in the official Japanese way of indicating a thing of importance was about to be said.

"At the risk of ruining your digestion and the evening, Yukinoshita, I've recently come to the realization that I've been in love with you for many months. I'm sorry I've been so cowardly and not said anything about it until now."

Yukinoshita blinked in surprise. Well, it was an honor to even be able to confess to such a woman, I'd gladly take whatever fate dishes out now. I felt relieved, really.

She exhaled, I realized she had been holding her breath for a while. She put her hand on her chest and breathed deeply a few times.

"I was going to tell you I loved you later this evening, Hikigaya-kun, but yes I'll accept your confession ahead of schedule."

She put her hands on the table and closed her eyes.

"I did it! I really did it!" she murmured.

The smoke from the grill was getting a little bit thick.

"The meat!" I cried.

"Ah! Sorry!"

We hurriedly cleared the grill, our first round was a little well done on one side.


	7. Family Calls Meeting

We had started to talk about what Yukinoshita had really wanted during the time of Isshiki's nomination.

"I wanted to make a solution that didn't involve relying on anyone else, and also would let me do something my sister had never done. I thought there would be ways I could help you, Hikigaya-kun, as Student Council President. A student council helps the school and the community without waiting for requests to come, and interacts with even more people."

"I'm very sorry, Yukinoshita. I thought about that in a completely different way, I was only seeing you sacrificing yourself and thought the presidency would just be a burden you were taking on yourself for someone else, while the rest of us wouldn't have to do anything."

"Actually Hikigaya-kun, there was one more reason for my wanting to be president, something I wanted a long time ago but that my sister would inherit."

Her sister was the presumed heir of the business at least, but her father also was in politics. Sometimes students wanting to go into politics would want membership in a student council on their resume.

"Do you want to be a politician like your Father?"

"I do want to be in politics, though in the judicial system."

"To help save the world, as you said when we first met?"

"Yes. But you're the only one I've told this."

Yukinoshita was smiling now.

"So you never told your parents your wish, or asked them?"

"Long ago I was told not to worry, my sister would do those things. My mother gave hints she wanted me to someday marry to further the relationship with the Hayama family, and she'd speak of those two vacancies. There is Hayama's mother's cosmetic surgery business and the corporate lawyer position. I've told you and Yuigahama about those, but I've never been given a definite duty. Maybe they think I'm not good enough, and I'll admit I'm not as capable as Nee-san. Or maybe I'm just not necessary..." Yukinoshita had a downcast expression.

"But you do believe you can do more important things than those legal or medical positions, yes?"

"Yes, I like to think so."

"I know you could too. I don't know how you can get to your goal, but I believe you should make some kind of a plan for yourself."

"Thank you Hikigaya-kun. I will make a plan, I'll go for my goals. I have already acquired one of my goals tonight, after all. If I can make a sworn loner as rotten as you fall in love, and can put life back into dead fish eyes, surely nothing is impossible."

Her teasing face had appeared.

"Always bringing up the eyes. Admit it, you like the Pan-san eyes, don't you?"

"Hmmm… maybe with those eyes you're more like a panda Cory catfish. A dead one, of course."

For dessert Yukino wanted to order a single cat-themed parfait, with strawberries and chocolates for the cat's features. She photographed it first like a typical Japanese teenage girl. She was so much like an ordinary girl in many ways, so extraordinary in others. She even fed me some of that parfait, like a girl in some silly anime or TV show, but I didn't mind even as some other patrons rolled their eyes. If it made her happy, I'd put up with it.

The sun had mostly set, the horizon was orange and red as we walked in twilight back to the lodge.

Yukinoshita pulled on my arm, making me stop.

"Hikigaya-kun. There will be people at the lodge, so..."

"Yes?" I looked toward her, and she quickly kissed my still open mouth. She lingered with her slightly parted lips on mine, then pulled away and made a smile that melted my heart. My heart was racing. She put her arms around me and looked up, and waited. I put my hands around her and drew her into a kiss that lingered for a few seconds.

I realized that Yukino had licked my lips as we parted from the second kiss I initiated. She looked into my eyes with her mouth open, just three centimeters from mine. She wanted to do … that? I hugged her hard and kissed her deeply, not really knowing what I was doing since this was the third time kissing a woman romantically in my life, and my first time kissing a woman in a very intimate way. Yukinoshita was making little humming sounds. We had been engaging in that 'adult kiss' for quite a time when a helicopter approached us and shined its searchlight on us. We parted so quickly that Yukinoshita's tongue was still returning to her mouth as we looked skyward. We heard laughter of a middle aged man and another woman that I knew very well from a loudspeaker, the sound had to be carrying for blocks.

"WOW, THAT"S QUITE A KISS FOR A FIRST SERIOUS DATE, YUKINO! I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU AND YOUR BOYFRIEND HIKIGAYA-KUN. LET'S MEET BACK AT THE LODGE."

A voice familiar from TV boomed from the helicopter that had the Y corporate logo of Yukinoshita General Contracting on its sides.

We looked up, still embracing, to see my Diet Representative Yukinonishita-san and a belly laughing Haruno in the front of the lighted cockpit when the helicopter turned around. An unhappy Hayama in the rear sat next to Yuki-mom who was pressing her forehead with her fingertips, just like her daughter sometimes did.

"Your dad? And he can pilot a helicopter?"

"Yes, Father used to be a pilot in the JMSDF; they paid for his civil engineering degree. It seems you're meeting the family ahead of schedule too, Hikigaya-kun."

But she was smiling, she did know her father and maybe I wasn't doomed.

The helicopter zoomed a few blocks away and sat down in the empty parking lot next to the other one that had brought Yukinoshita Haruno earlier.

I was quite a bit worried about what to say to Representative Yukinoshita-san, but Yukinoshita said, "Hikigaya-kun, one more kiss before we go, please."

We actually kissed several times more, making ourselves very hot and out of breath, then we finally started to walk slowly to the lodge, her holding my arm in both of hers.

"Please call me Yukino from now on, and...could I call you by your first name?"

"Yes, Yukino, please call me Hachiman."

"Hachiman. Hachiman" She put her head on my shoulder.

When we arrived Haruno led us past several spectators in the lobby into Meeting Room A. Those spectators were all our schoolmates, Hiratsuka-sensei who was very happy, and a sulking Hayama who was left out of this meeting. The room had tea service set out on one table and had a couple couches along the other walls besides the conference table in the middle.

After introductions and bows, we sat at the conference table for tea. Yukinoshita and I sat facing her parents as she secretly took my hand under the table, and Haruno was on one side.

The father was what I imagined a wealthy riajuu what look like when middle aged. He was handsome like a movie star, muscular like an athlete, had a radio announcers voice, and radiated authority and trustworthiness.

"By the way this doesn't count as our promised meeting at a tea parlor, Hikigaya-kun."

Haruno said quietly before her father spoke. Oh yes, that thing she had said at the mall long ago.

"Well you two certainly caused quite a stir appearing on TV., the other Diet members and my top supporters were calling and asking me about you, Hikigaya-kun. So you love Yukino, do you?"

"Yes, I really do."

I couldn't think of anything impressive to say, and didn't know if I would be hated or accepted… well I think the mom looked like she wouldn't be easily accepting.

"Well, Akiri, maybe your plan to fix Yukino up with Hayato took a hit today, eh? Are you going to get all pissy and put on a fake smile for a month?"

The Father nudged his wife. I thought of another certain person who was pissy and put on a fake smile for a month. The mother and younger daughter really were like each other in many ways…

Yuki-mom sighed.

"I knew something like this was going to happen, the way Yukino was looking at Hikigaya-kun when I saw them with Haruno at New Years. My plans were always for your sake though, Yukino, I just want the best for you."

"But Mother, Father... I've never heard of any plans for me within the family other than marrying Hayama-kun with vague hints at two vacancies in the family needing filled. Vacancies that any competent professional could fill. And Hayama-kun is not the kind of man I'd want to have for any relationship. Indeed as for a career, if I had my choice it would be in the Japanese judicial system."

"Really?….I see. You know Yukino, sometimes a father has a problem, that he thinks of his grown daughter as still his little girl, and to not see she has adult concerns. Or not believe that she could fall in love as a woman. Yukino, if you really want to go into the Japanese judicial system, I'll support you… but there is one thing you could do that would make it easier to be supported, and would make me very happy."

"What is that, Father?… You wish for me to move back into the home?"

"Yes, I think it would be for the best for you to learn to get along with your Mother and older sister better, though they're quite difficult and troublesome women."

"Dad!" said Haruno, pretending to pout.

"Fine, I'll move back home immediately upon my return."

"Yay! Your father is so happy! And I'll spend more time talking with you, Yukino, I promise. Well, we have to go back to Chiba now. Hikigaya-kun, thank you for your part in helping Yukino to interact with others again, and for making her happy. Please take good care of our daughter."

I stood and bowed.

"Yes I will always do that. At the beginning of the school year, your daughter chose to help others, though. She decided to change something about herself."

"Yes, I've heard about that club of hers, I think my older daughter and her former teacher had a bit to do with starting that club as well."

We stood and shook hands, he held mine rather tightly with his strong thick hands, so I did my best to squeeze very hard in return… and Haruno laughed at both of us.

"Oh, look at these two macho guys."

Yuki mom made a small bow.

"I don't like you, but I suppose I'll have to tolerate you, Hikigaya-kun."

She turned and left. The way she said that was...

"Your mother reminds me of the way someone else used to speak to me, at the start of the school year... Ow!"

Yukino had lightly kicked my shin under the table.

Haruno said, "You're in the green now, Hikigaya-kun. Dad really likes you. Mother of course is utterly disgusted with you but then she's disgusted with all young males except Hayama-kun."

Haruno grew thoughtful with a finger on her chin.

"Wonder if Mother has a kind of crush on him, or maybe he's the son she never had? Hmmm..."

"Nee-san, you run your mouth too much. Although, Nee-san, there still is a way Mother can have Hayama-kun as a son-in-law you know..."

Yukinoshita made a wicked demonic grin to match an even more demonic voice dripping with delight in something revolting, she suddenly sounded like Haruno Mk II!

"It probably really will come to that, Yukino-chan. That's fine, I don't really care as long as you're happy, my life's path is already set in stone and it truly doesn't bother me. I'll have power, money and a husband whose ass I know I can kick up and down the street anytime he pisses me off."

Haruno said all that in a charming sing song voice. Truly a scary woman.

I did not gloat nor did I make fun of Hayama in my mind on hearing those words. My girlfriend could easily kick my butt up and down the street too.

"Did your mother ever practice martial arts?" I blurted that out without thinking, wondering whether Papa Yukinoshita-san was also ever in danger of getting his tail whooped. And if the daughters had inherited their abilities...

"Mother was the highest ranked woman in the All Japan Karatedo right before she was married," stated Haruno.

As expected, all women in my girlfriend's family were very dangerous.

"Hachiman, it's time to put an ice pack on your cheek for 20 minutes. Were you going to study or read for the rest of the evening?"

"Yes, Yukino… would you like to meet back here in say 30 minutes and read together?"

"I'll make some black tea that I brought, green tea isn't my favorite."

Yes, I knew that, Yukino.

I went back to my room with an ice pack from the front desk, and Imai-kun congratulated me. After 20 minutes went by, he watched as I brushed and flossed my teeth, gargled, and re-combed my hair.

"Oh, going to get lucky tonight, Senpai?" He really had a one-track mind.

"I'm already the luckiest man in the world, to be loved by its best woman. We're going to do something together that we've always loved to do. We'll drink black tea and read. And sometimes talk about whatever comes to mind."

"How totally wholesome! Yeah that does seem like you two, Senpai."

Yukino already was on the couch with a book having a cat-themed cover when I returned. There were two cups of black tea on coasters on the end table.

We sat very close together and drank tea while holding hands. Yes, Service Club tea had a distinctive rich taste. The room was a bit cold due to the season but the tea and warmth from our bodies pressed together made it cozy. Then we started to read.

Mother Shimoda-san came by with a folded blanket.

"The meeting rooms are always a bit cold, you lovebirds can use this blanket if you like."

"Oh yes, Shimoda-san, thank you very much for being so thoughtful."

Yukino nearly grabbed it out of her hands, and stood up to unfold it. She placed part of it around me, then sat down and wrapped the rest around herself, only our books were held away from it. We read for another hour this way, then Yukino closed her book with both hands, as she would do at the end of club time, and put the book on the end table. She closed the blanket in front of us.

Yukino gave my cheek a quick kiss. Then she looked directly ahead with a straight face, saying nothing.

I quickly kissed Yukino's cheek, then her forehead and end of her nose. Then I looked straight ahead with a poker face.

Yukino kissed along my earlobe, with it between her lips. Then she looked off into the distance.

I nibbled along the jugular vein of her neck with my lips, making her gasp and raising goosebumps on her skin as I also enjoyed the feeling of her smooth soft hair in my face. Then I looked across the room, it was getting hard not to laugh or smile.

Yukino giggled.

"You lose," I said.

"That was just a battle. The war is not over, Hachiman."

Yukino pushed me over, straddled my waist, covered us completely with the blanket and showered me with kisses on my face, ears, neck. We kissed passionately while I ran my fingers through her hair, caressed her cheeks, and massaged her back. After a few minutes we had to regain our breath, and uncovered our heads as it was getting too warm under the blanket. Yukino lay her head on my shoulder and held my sides.

"I'm so happy, Hachiman."

"Yes, I am too, Yukino."

We stayed like that for some time on the couch, and then Yukino fell asleep as I held her.

* * *

Some time later the room lights were turned off, and I opened my eyes to see Shimoda-san walking away after she did that.

I heard people from our school talking. Yukino was sound asleep on me.

"No, they're not in the lobby."

"You don't suppose they spent the night down the street?"

"No way!"

"I'll text him."

That was Sensei's voice.

My phone chimed. It was almost 6am, when my phones alarm would ring.

_From: Hiratsuka Shizuka_

_Hikigaya, where are you and Yukinoshita? Her phone woke Yuigahama and we're wondering where you two went._

_From: Hikigaya Hachiman_

_We're still in the lodge._

I didn't want to give my exact location right away, so I gently rubbed then shook Yukino's shoulder.

"Hmmm…? What is is, Hachiman?"

She looked up at me, yawned and remembered to try to stifle it too late. Then she put her head on my shoulder again and closed her eyes. Too cute!

"It's 5:53AM. People are looking for us, probably best we got up and returned to our rooms."

"Found them! Oh they're sooooo cute!"

It was Ayahana-san our treasurer.

Hiratsuka-sensei, Yuigahama, Isshiki, Ayahana-san, Morita-san and Imai-kun all came into the meeting room and were looked down at us. Yukino and I looked up at them. Hiratsuka-sensei was taking a picture with a smirking face, and started tapping on her phone.

My phone chimed.

_From: Yukinoshita Haruno_

_To: Hikigaya Hachiman, Hiratsuka Shizuka_

_Best wallpaper yet, Hikigaya-kun. Our mission is finally accomplished, Shizu-chan!_


	8. Couple Sleeps Together

Yukino was blushing and had turned her head to the back of the couch, and probably I was red too. A young couple should not have spectators when waking up together after their first night sleeping...and we hadn't done_ that_ in any case. Even Sensei was still staring at us with a strange look of awe and happiness on her face. But then I had inspiration, there was news a certain imouto was dying to hear. I took out my phone, to throw a fish to a starving tanuki. [Japanese raccoon dog, some OreGairu merch has Komachi as that animal or wearing a tanuki costume]

_To: Hikigaya Komachi_

_I confessed to Yukinoshita last night and she has accepted. So she is my girlfriend. You could help us both out a lot if you called me immediately._

My phone rang in less than 2 seconds after I hit send.

"Excuse me ladies, Yukino and I have to take this personal call."

"C'mon everyone, let's go to the breakfast buffet, the shuttle is leaving at 7:30," said Hiratsuka.

The girls and Sensei left the room while Yukino looked at my phone's screen.

"Hello Komachi. Thanks for calling."

"ONII-CHAN! SO YOU REALLY HAVE YUKINO-SENPAI AS A GIRLFRIEND!?"

"No need to yell, Komachi. Yes, we're a couple now."

"YAAAAAY!

"You didn't remember my request to preserve my ears at all."

"Congratulations to you both! What help did you two need, Onii-chan? Is everything all right?"

"Well, Komachi, we sort of accidentally fell asleep on a couch in a meeting room under a blanket the staff gave us… and a few people from our school were in the room looking at us when we woke up… but getting a phone call gave me an excuse to have everyone leave."

"YOU SLEPT WITH YUKINO-NEE-SAN?"

Komachi's voice was loud, I had to pull the phone away from my ear. Yukino took the phone.

"Komachi-chan, that particular expression would imply certain acts that did not happen between us, I merely happened to fall asleep while on top of Hachiman under a..."

Yukino's voice faltered out as she realized that sounded rather...intimate...too.

"It's all right, Nee-san. Anything at all you and Onii-chan want to do together is fine with me, so don't hold back!"

"Eeep!"

Yukino squeaked and then was frozen in shock.

Um, Komachi-chan, that sounded kind of suggestive. I took the phone from Yukino who sighed and pushed herself off my chest to sit on my legs, and she yawned while stretching. I noted Yukino didn't really have bed head, her hair was just fluffier and fuller in the morning. She was so cute I couldn't stop staring. She noticed my attention and looked away with red ears, holding her left arm and staring at the floor.

"Anyway, Komachi, I'll give you the details about our date and confession when I get home. We have to get ready to leave this lodge by 7:30am., to help the school for a bit until noon when we eat lunch with their student council, and then leave."

"I'll look forward to it Onii-chan. And bring Yukino-nee-san over for dinner. And have her over on the weekends! Oh I'm so happy, Oniiiii-chan!"

Komachi started crying.

"Yes I'll invite her. Bye Komachi."

"*sniff* Bye bye Yukino-nee-san! Onii-chan!"

I sat up, Yukino was still on my lap looking at the wall.

"We should return to our rooms and then grab some breakfast. We could grab something at the breakfast table in the lobby, or…. would you like to try the cafe on the next block, Yukino?"

"I would...prefer the cafe...Hachiman," Yukino said in a small voice, she was still flustered and facing away.

I thought of a tactful way to suggest I couldn't stand up with her on me, and I really needed to use the washroom too.

"After you."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She jumped up off my lap.

"Not a problem. Let's go."

I stood and she took my hand as we walked out.

I rushed through my morning routine in my room including showering. I was ready in ten minutes, and waited outside Yuigahama and Yukino's room leaning against the wall of the hallway. Yukino came out fifteen minutes later wearing a coat over her school uniform, and again she had her hair in front tied in the pink scrunchie.

"Did I keep you waiting long, Hachiman?"

"Er...No Yukino, I've only been here a minute."

"I saw you through the door viewer lens fifteen minutes ago, Hachiman," Yukino said with a grin.

"Oh….and how many times did you look before I arrived?" I asked returning her grin.

"...not that many times," she said quietly.

We had to walk past the buffet table in the alcove of the lobby where our schoolmates were lined up. Yuigahama was looking down somberly. Isshiki and Sensei were smiling at us.

For seafood-loving Yukino's sake, we had a seafood miso stew and boiled fish with rice for breakfast at the cafe.

"I wonder what we could really do in four hours," I remarked.

"I suppose we'll just provide moral support by helping in whatever manner we can. We're also to have our picture taken today."

"So the Service Club will be in the Sapporo Kita yearbook?"

"Perhaps it will. But we'll remember the Club for another reason, won't we, Hachiman? I never thought I'd be the one who was most helped by the Club."

"Or I was? Your Club certainly changed me. Thank you, Yukino. We've had a part in changing each other, and that will continue won't it?"

"I'm sure it will. Speaking of the future, for a political career I'll have to choose a liberal arts school. My father probably would want it to be in Chiba, since I'd not be following Mother's plans which involved study abroad."

Yukino was making a smile that was wide for her, and leaned towards me.

"I only know the next step for my future career, and I'll probably wind up at one of two private liberal arts universities in Chiba," I said. "If we're both in Chiba, we can see each other during our time at University, it would seem."

"Yes, that would be wonderful. And perhaps, something else might be possible...but we can talk of that much later."

I wasn't quite sure what she was imagining for the future.

We returned to the lodge, and went to our rooms. I rolled my suitcase in front of Yukino's room and waited. When she opened the door, I took her suitcase and once again joined our luggage together. We went out to the lobby together to wait for the shuttle bus.

Grandma Shimoda was sitting at the front desk.

"Oh, aren't you lovebirds so cute! You two should book the Cat Paradise room some weekend! Here, have a 33 percent off coupon you can use for any time this year!"

Yukino let out a gasp and turned scarlet. In a blur she grabbed the coupon and hid it in her coat's pocket, while saying "thank you very much Shimodo-san" very quietly and rapidly. I continued to look ahead as if I had not seen nor heard a thing. Would we really someday...oh let's not get ahead of ourselves.

"*Ahem* Thank you for your hospitality, Shimoda-san. This is a very fine lodge. I shall be sure to recommend it," said Yukino very formally and in her normal voice.

"We enjoyed staying your lodge, thank you, Shimoda-san," I turned, added that and then we both bowed.

* * *

At the school, I assisted Kita students in building, bulk painting, and carrying props. Yukino baked and made confectioneries along with Isshiki. Yuigahama was painting figures, posters and backgrounds. In short we were unpaid human resources, also known as slaves. Then we had to pose in various groups and activities for photographs. The photos were made part of a plaque that was presented to Isshiki, and one of the images on it was of the three members of the Service Club. I suspected we could have done our most useful part in this event entirely remotely….but telecommuting would not have resulted in Yukino and I as a couple. However I'm certain adult corporate slaves should just telecommute, office romances lead to nothing but trouble from what my father and mother have told me.

We had a catered lunch at the school with their student council in their meeting room, it was basically festival food but free so superior.

The school's shuttle bus took us back to the bus terminal, there were hardly any people there since it was the middle of Monday. We were all to ride the same bus home, since it was an off-peak time.

A representative of the Yoshida Travel company was waiting for us. Hiratsuka-sensei consulted with her and she received an envelope.

"Everyone, there's a been a change of plan. The bus we were to ride home had a mechanical problem, so we'll be riding an upgraded luxury bus with nine rows of three seats."

Hiratsuka examined and then passed out the tickets, Yukino and I were in 4B and 4C, center and right side in middle of bus. By Sensei's plan again. Everyone else in our group was ahead of us.

"I'm glad we'll still be together for the ride home, Hachiman," said Yukino.

"Yes, I'm glad too," I said truthfully. "Let's get some drinks and snacks for the trip."

The shop at the terminal had most of what we needed, but Yukino saw me scanning the glass doors of all the drink coolers in vain.

"Hachiman, there are vending machines around the perimeter of the building that might have Georgia products", she said with a knowing grin.

I was so thankful to have a girlfriend who understood my needs!

We located a machine having the essential nutrient MAX Coffee besides the other Georgia drinks, though they were somewhat overpriced. There should be a law against price gouging travelers for vital necessities.

The bus had bucket style seats, with individual curtains that could isolate each seat that went in tracks along the ceiling. Yukino looked unhappy.

"I was hoping to sit closer to you, Hachiman."

"Well, it can't be helped. These are more comfortable seats than the other bus had, though."

Yukino reached over and undid my seat belt. She emptied her purse into her travel bag and placed it across the small gap between our seats. She put a pillow on that and sat against my side, then extended my seat belt's length until it mated the receptacle on her side.

"I'm going to take a nap for now, Hachiman."

She put her head on my shoulder and held my arm in hers. But she was looking up at me.

"Ah...well, pleasant dreams, Yukino."

Probably no one would see it, so I gave her a very quick kiss.

She adjusted her head on my shoulder.

"That was fine for now, but I expect more substantial kisses tonight after we close the curtains, Hachiman. And..." her voice was almost a whisper, "I'd like to sleep on you again."


	9. Misfits Date Weirdly

Yukino had given me two and a half hours of science tutoring for the test and I was mentally exhuasted; I hated the subject, it numbed my mind but I felt compelled to pay attention since she was spending so much effort on me. As a side effect of our session I now had a study guide in my notebook that she hand written for me.

As we were putting books away, I heard Isshiki's phone ring ahead two rows ahead of us.

"Moshi-moshi….Hello Haruno-senpai!"

"Back already? … Ah, you're so lucky to have a helicopter. … Yes, they're studying for the science test two rows behind me...

"Yes, everyone in the school knows Hayama-senpai, he's really popular, and many of the girls like him. He gets confessed to all the time!

"… ah, well yes… well, I might have some feelings, and when the time is right I might try something... But isn't that all right?

"…. Ehhhhhh!? Really?! I-I-I d-didn't know that, he should have said something so no one would misunderstand, Haruno-senpai… and my rivals? … sigh... well, his friend Miura-senpai probably likes him a lot, and there is Sagami-san… but I'm sure if they heard… huh…."

"So that's now it is… ah, well, I'm a bit surprised… but... Congratulations! Hope you're both happy, Haruno-senpai! ... Ok, Good bye!

"Huh, well I should have known a rich guy would have something like that going on," Iroha was in a way muttering but doing rather loudly as if to convince herself.

Yukino's phone rang.

"Moshi-moshi… yes Nee-san, we're sitting together… just a moment."

Yukino plugged ear buds into her phone but put one into my ear.

"Hello Hikigaya-kun!"

"Yo… Haruno-nee-san."

"OOOo, that makes me sooo happy, Hikigaya-kun. I've asked Mom and Dad, I'll be moving into Yukino-chan's place so I can have a place to study, isn't that great Yukino-chan?

"That's fine, do as you wish, Nee-san."

"Hikigaya-kun, you can come help Yukino-chan pack her things. And you'll be able to visit her at our Chiba home until 9:30pm any night. Isn't that exciting, Yukino-chan! I'll be sure to visit if Hikigaya-kun is there!"

"That's hardly necessary, Nee-san. There is an old American saying about couples' spending time together, 'Two's company, three's a crowd' "

A Chiba home? So they had other homes? There were still many things I didn't know about that family.

"Awww, you're so heartless, Yukino-chan… Waaah!…. Hey! Dad told the staff no one is to interfere with you two...but, that he expects you both to be responsible! You know what that means, right? If things get hot and heavy and you two do *that*, you need to take precautions and..."

"Nee-san! I don't need to be hearing this from you."

"Awww, I'm just being a concerned older sister…. And that brings us to another important topic about couples."

Yukino sighed.

"Mother said Hayama and I have to get married since you're now out of consideration, and that she doesn't want any girls to be tempting him or flirting with him because it will ruin her plans. She said I have to make it very clear to the girls in your school that he is mine."

Yukino and I looked at each other, and I shrugged. Haruno and Hayama were annoying to me, I saw this mainly as something that would make them spend time on activities other than annoying us, as a minor benefit to a matter that mostly wasn't our problem. It seemed Yukino was of a similar mind on the amount of shits to give.

"Nee-san, how is this of any concern to Hachiman or myself? This is for you to deal with, we've no interest at all. "

"Yukino-chan, this is your dear Nee-san's destiny, please have a care. How about you, Hikigaya-kun, do you have any misgiving, well wishes, worries about your sweet loving Nee-san and her arranged married life?"

What was I supposed to say? I think I pitied Hayama! Haruno was like the devil who made itself into a hot woman for a short time but the core demonic nature was always there, evil and dangerous and twisted…

"I hope your married life is joyful and you have happy children. I hope you'll both be loving and kind, and remember family members aren't toys," I said very seriously.

"WHOA! I think you just scolded me and gave me fatherly advice, Hikigaya-kun! Well, I'll try. Be seeing you both soon, since I do have to complete this mission Mother gave me. Welp, I'm off to buy a 10 carat FL engagement ring on Papa Hayama-san's corporate credit card. Bye!"

I looked in my phone, at the slew of addresses Yukino had furiously entered right before this trip. Yukino put her head on my shoulder.

"This one is our home address, Hachiman." She pointed at the Chiba entry.

"This one is our vacation home in Hokkaido. This is a small home we have in the Denenchofu suburb for Tokyo business meetings. That's our villa in Saint-Tropez."

A villa on the French Riviera, that must be amazing, I thought of some movies with sets there.

"I'll give you tours of all the homes."

I'd never been to those parts of Japan, though relatively close to Chiba.

"I would enjoy the tours."

"Do you have a passport, Hachiman?"

Huh, what's this about a passport?

"Yes, but it might be out of date, I've only been out of Japan one time. Why?"

"Well, get it renewed so you can see the villa."

Oh! Holy Crap!

* * *

Our seats were leaned back, Yukino sat on the "bridge" she had made between our seats, and slept on my shoulder with her legs over my lap as she held my arm. Later I was awakened by her stirring and trying to adjust her position. I undid the harness belt and she climbed into my lap, apparently still asleep. I refastened the belts with her in this new position, head on my chest and arms holding my sides. The top of her head smelled wonderful. Her bottom and hips on my legs felt wonderful. Her soft body… I must empty my mind and try to sleep!

She must not have moved much after that, because the next thing I knew it was morning. Yukino was still asleep in much the same position. Her cute little ear was showing through her parted hair and I studied it. I wanted to kiss that ear… it should be fine even though she was asleep since I was her boyfriend, right? I only had to gently move her to the side a bit, then give a little kiss… and another… and rub the lobe between my lips…

"Let's see if Senpai is.. WAAAAAH!"

Iroha had pulled the curtain aside and I only moved my eyes up, still with the large part of Yukino's earlobe in my mouth.

Behind her Yuigahama stood with a look on her face I can only describe as "heartrending sadness." She covered her face and bounded back into her seat.

"So sorry!...," said Iroha, as she bowed and zoomed back to her seat. She was retrieving tissues from her purse for the weeping Yuigahama.

I closed the curtain.

"So noisy..."

Yukino said quietly and looked up at me.

"Yukino. Good morning."

"Good morning, Hachiman. Will the bus stop soon?"

"Yes, in about twenty minutes."

"Ah."

She undid her seat belts, turned the opposite way on my lap, and put her head on my shoulder and went back to sleep. Yes, that felt wonderful indeed! I redid the belts and decided to watch Yukino for the remaining time until our breakfast stop. On second thought, that's her other ear isn't it…

* * *

We were eating breakfast at a cafe, the bus would wait forty minutes.

"You can have the rest of mine if you wish, that was more food than my normal breakfast."

Yukino seemed to be thinking of something.

"Hikigaya-kun, what do you plan to do for lunch today at school?"

"Probably the same as always, I just get bread from cafeteria."

"That's hardly a healthy lunch, Hachiman."

Yukino signaled the waitress and spoke with her. The woman returned and said the cook could make us lunches.

* * *

We were picked up by the school's shuttle bus from the terminal and taken to school. We held hands out of everyone's view for the trip.

Arriving at Sobu High, the girls and boys disembarked the shuttle bus and split up to use the showers and freshen ourselves. My school uniform defintely looked traveled-in.

Yukino and I promised to meet in the cafeteria for lunch, and then separated to go through the first part of our school day including a science test for us second years. Parting was such sweet sorrow, and a second hour science test part of a sorrowful pain in the ass.

Miura was talking to Yuigahama and Ebina as I entered the room.

"Hayato is heartbroken over Yukinoshita, but she's out of the picture now. His heart has to be more open now, and I might have a chance."

So she was still carrying a torch for the guy that never really cared for her, the poor girl. She didn't know. Should I tell her? Or, maybe sticking my nose in other people's romances only caused trouble for me. I had my own romance to occupy my time and thoughts, after all… Screw 'em, Hikigaya Hachiman is out of the helping others with romance biz!

Sagami was talking with her friends too, quietly so the Queen Bee of the back of the room couldn't hear her, but I could.

"So, Hayama is broken hearted, and maybe a girl could catch him on the rebound! I need to stop being afraid of that Miura, I have just as much a chance as her now!"

"You go, girl!"

That won't end well, Sagami. But, that was not my problem either.

Hayama came in, and the room fell silent. He quietly sat down, and and only politely nodded as Tobe, Ooka and Yamato greeted him. I think we had two cliques now, the Queen Bee's Gals and Hayama's Dude Posse. And ne'er more the twain shall meet.

Hayama's phone chimed with a message, he glanced at it and sighed. Then he muted his phone and I was reminded to mute mine as per school rules. The screen lit up even though my phone now silent.

_From: Yukinoshita Haruno _

_I'll be having Hayama meet me outside after last class, and some witnesses will be there too. You might find it interesting to watch, Hikigaya-kun! After today, you need to tell Nee-san if anyone is hitting on Hayama!_

Ugh, don't involve me in your schemes, you demoness.

* * *

In second period I thought I did mediocre on the science test, which is to say much better than normal.

At lunch time Yukino was being tailed and interrogated by her Yukino Groupies, her fans from Class J.

"So despite your denials on the school trip, you DID have feelings for that guy all along, didn't you, Yukinoshita-sama?"

"Right? Right?", two other girls of the Groupies chimed in.

"Those feelings grew slowly, over time. Well, if you'll all excuse me now..."

All the girls looked at me. There was giggling and then they rushed ahead into the cafeteria whispering. The rumor mill was in peak production.

There was no Personal Displays of Affection allowed at Sobu of course, so we merely walked into the cafeteria together.

We sat at the end of a table of first-years whom we didn't know except for Secretary-chan, she waved at us but continued to talk to girls of her year. I suppose her and Vice President-kun did nothing at school to hint at their hot (panting dog) relationship outside.

"So how did your science test go, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Surprisingly well, 70% correct."

"Well, that's progress in the right direction."

I wanted to change the subject.

"Yukino, do you have a lot of things to pack for your move back to your parents?"

"There are a lot of clothes. I do have many books, files and discs. Nee-san can use the kitchenware and linens; needless to say our home has more than enough of those things. A stack of containers is being delivered."

"I think you'll be too tired to start packing tonight; but I can help you any time."

"I actually would like to start tonight... and Hikigaya-kun, would you like to stay for dinner at my apartment today? We could go grocery shopping after we drop the luggage off."

"I really am looking forward to your cooking...you won't be too fatigued to cook? Of course I'll help with prepping for the move."

"I actually slept very well last night."

* * *

Those who went on the trip were excused from club. Yukino and I were leaving the school with our luggage, to take the train to her apartment.

Hayama and the guys from his clique, along with Ebina and Yuigahama were outside the entrance of the school. Miura, Sagami and a couple of her friends were also there.

"Sagaimi-san, You didn't send this?" Miura held up her phone with a text.

"No… you didn't send this?"

A limousine was on the street and a full figured beauty jumped out.

"Hayato, my love! I can't stop showing off the ring you gave me!"

Haruno pranced towards the dazed and confused Hayama with her hand in the air, a large diamond on a platinum ring blazed like the arc of a welding machine on her fourth finger. Haruno wore a fluorescent purple dress under a short white overcoat and matching shear purple hose with a criss-cross pattern that disappeared into white high heeled boots. The heels made her hips gyrate and sway rapidly, reminding me of cowgirls. No, not the ones in Western movies. All right, brain, out of the gutter.

Miura and Sagami jaws dropped and hung open.

"That's not even a couple's ring, that's an engagement ring!" Sagami's friend exclaimed, belaboring what was painfully obvious and delivering the death blow to two maidens' hearts.

Haruno pounced on Hayama like a tiger on a side of beef, grabbed his butt cheek with one hand, the back of his head with the other, and lifted her shapely leg to place her knee above his hip. She moaned, deeply kissing Hayam's mouth, at times pulling a centimeter away and then back so her tongue was visible, as she ground her crotch on his leg and rubbed her breasts on his chest.

Tobe yelled, "Holy shit that's like a hentai kiss!"

Miura and Sagami were both now covering their faces.

Haruno then broke the kiss with a sound that somehow reminded me of a toilet plunger being yanked slowly off a muddy tile floor.

Hayama's face was red and he was panting. His pants bulged but I wondered if he looked a bit sad too.

"I've made the appointment for picking the maid's dresses at Yumi Katsura Bridal House! And there is a new Love Hotel a block away! Let's go!"

Haruno then made an evil glare at Sagami and then Miura.

"Stay away from my fiancee. Homewreckers will be _dealt with_!"

That voice was nearly as cold and bone chilling as her sister's. Almost.

Haruno... dismounted... Hayama, grabbed his forearm and placed his hand on the upper part of her exposed bosom, and started to haul him off.

Hayama looked backwards toward Yukino and myself, but Haruno grabbed the underside of his chin and turned his head to look forwards.

"Don't you _ever_ stare at my imouto, you cuck," Haruno groused at him.

Mission accomplished.

Yukino actually chuckled.

I looked at her.

"I'd never do such things… in public."

Yikes. Now I was imagining things.

"Would you be imagining certain _erotic_ things, Hachiman?

"Eh, oh no not me Yukino!"

A teasing grin remained.

Something came to my mind though. Let's see her grin after this.

"Do you think the trend of couple's rings are silly, Yukino?"

The grin was gone and Yukino blushed.

"I… was just… making conversation." My voice faltered and my face was warming up.

"Ah. I'm.. not opposed to them. What do you think of those rings, Hachiman?"

I didn't have much money, some from my New Years moneys my parents kept… I didn't know what a affordable romantic ring would look like… but… I could consult Komachi on this, surely she'd be glad to help!

"The person giving a ring would have reasons and feelings, if the person receiving it understood and valued those thoughts… I suppose a ring could be a good thing."

Yukino smiled.

"I would not want a ring that costs much, Hachiman. Your feelings would be what made a ring precious to me."


End file.
